


You used to be my world

by islolzaword



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Affairs, Eventual Smut, Family, Friendship, Love Triangles, M/M, Pining, Post-Prison
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2020-10-18 05:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 101,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20633690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islolzaword/pseuds/islolzaword
Summary: Ten years ago Robert decided to let Aaron go. It was the only thing he could think of that would allow for Aaron to live a proper life.Now he's being released and all he wants is to have Aaron back in his life. The only issue is he has a fiance.(Not giving any spoilers but this is more or less gonna be Affair era 2.0)





	1. When life comes full circle

Robert stared at Aaron from across the visitors' table, a look of remorse etched across his face. This wasn’t supposed to be how their story ended. They were supposed to grow old together, walking through the village every day, hand in hand as their hair got greyer but their hearts continued to grow more in love with each other. 

They weren’t supposed to be saying goodbye until they were sick and old. They weren’t supposed to be saying goodbye less than a year after they were married.

Robert had thought they had made it, they were finally settled - but now it was all ripped away from them again. There was nothing he could do to stop it either. He looked at the man he loved and watched as tears welled up in his eyes. He didn’t want to hurt him any more than he had in the time they’d been together. But he also knew this was the only way forward - it was the only way that this would be fair on Aaron.

“Robert...please, you don’t have to do this”

Robert screwed his eyes shut, his heart willing his tears not to fall. 

“It needs to be this way. I can’t have you waiting for me for the rest of your life”

“But you could get out early, we can still have a life after you’re released”. Robert was shaking his head now, Aaron was trying to grab onto any inch of hope he could find.

“I won’t be. You heard my sentence - I’m going to be spending 25 years in this hell hole. It’s not fair for you to put your life on hold for me”

“But I want to wait for you - I can’t imagine my life with anyone but you. Please, Robert!”

He was full-on crying now, and Robert was about to crack as well. He didn’t care that other prisoners were looking on, some smirking as they watched the two men’s hearts shattering into pieces. He knew he would probably get a beating for it later, but right now he didn’t care. His only concern was Aaron.

He reached over the table and grabbed Aaron’s hands in his. Aaron looked down at them and stroked the rings that were on both of their fingers. Robert took in a gulp of air.

“I love you, okay? And it’s for that reason that I need you to stop visiting. I need you to go out there, meet another guy, fall in love and forget about me”.

Aaron continued to shake his head. 

“And I need you...I need you to promise me that Seb won’t forget who I am. I love him more than anything, Aaron please.”

“You can’t do this. We made a vow to each other that we would stick together through everything” Aaron looked away for a second and took a gasp of air, finding his composure before looking back at his husband. “I need you...Seb needs you”

Robert was fully crying himself now. He didn’t want to do this but he had to stand his ground.

“I need you to forget about me” Aaron’s heart plummeted into his stomach as Robert looked at him, taking his hand away and wiping away a tear. Aaron kept shaking his head, this wasn’t happening, this couldn’t be happening. “I’m sorry,” Robert said, barely above a whisper as he got up from his chair. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a note. He placed it on the table in front of Aaron.

“Please, give this to Seb when he’s older. It tells him how much I love him” he then turned away.

Aaron stood up quickly, grabbing the sleeve of Robert’s shirt, trying to get him to face him as he stood looking at the gate that led through to the prison. “Please, Robert, you can’t just leave it like this” 

Robert screwed his eyes shut, not looking at the other man. He just continued to walk towards the gate, Aaron screaming his name behind him as he didn’t look back.

“Robert!” Aaron cried, his face covered in tears. Robert got to the gate and as the prison guard opened it, there was the sound of an alarm ringing as he entered the gateway to hell.

He chose then to turn back to face the man he loved. Prison bars were now standing between them, and they shared a look of pain. Their life together flashed before their eyes. This was it, their story was over.

“I’m sorry”, Robert whispered one last time before the guard led him back to his cell. 

Aaron was left by himself in the visitors' room, feeling completely and utterly heartbroken.

10 YEARS LATER

The place was full of cheers and shouts of joy as the fireworks continued to blare overhead. The open paddock behind Home farm was lit aglow as the bonfire shined bright in front of him. Aaron’s heart was beating fast, pumping the blood through his body a mile a minute.

Adam was next to him, shoving his arm in encouragement as he cheered along with everybody else, clapping his hands loudly. Aaron looked around and all eyes were on him, waiting with anticipation to see what he was going to say next. 

He looked down to the ground and took a good look at the man in front of him, down on one knee with the box in front of him donning a stunning titanium ring.

Conner was looking up at him with a gleaming look in his eye, a hopeful expression on his face. Aaron just looked shocked as the seconds continued to tick by.

“Aaron...Are you gonna answer him or what?” Paddy blurted out, only to have Chas smack him on the arm

“Shhhh, you’ll ruin the moment” she scolded 

Conner looked over at them and smirked then looked back at Aaron,

“Paddy does have a point though,” he said quietly as Aaron just continued to look down at him in shock. “Are you gonna marry me or what?”

Aaron blinked, suddenly pulled out of his reverie and slowly started nodding his head. He cleared his throat before he tried to speak,

‘Ye...Yeah,” he said and nodded his head again, the butterflies in his stomach now fluttering at full capacity.

Conner stood up quickly with the happiest look on his face as if his biggest wish had finally come true. He cupped Aaron’s face as he moved in, smacking their lips together in a passionate kiss. 

Everybody around them cheered once more as the two men broke apart and Conner slid the ring onto Aaron’s ring finger. 

“Yes lad” Adam bellowed as he gave him another encouraging shove on the arm. Aaron just shoved him off with a laugh on his face, as the tears welled up in his eyes. He was so happy, he couldn’t believe it. He hadn’t been this happy for as long as he could remember.

“Alright, well who’s popping the champers!” yelled Charity as she pushed her way through the crowd, donning a big bottle of the bubbly stuff.

“I think the husbands to be should have the honour!” Chas shouted, the fireworks still going off on the chilly November night.

“How long have you been planning this?” Aaron laughed as he took the bottle from his aunt. The two women looked at each other than over at Conner who was smiling from ear to ear.

“Ask loverboy here, he just told us to stock up on the booze”

“Not so difficult when you own a pub” commented Paddy who was already a little bit intoxicated. Chas just smacked him on the shoulder again, her patience being tested by the minute with that one.

Aaron just laughed with everyone else as both he and Conner grasped hold of the bottle. His whole family was spread around them, Paddy and Chas, Vanessa and Charity, The rest of the Dingles. Liv was there, Seb too, rolling his eyes at all the soppiness going on around him. He was fully absorbed into his phone at that minute. Aaron looked at him and shook his head in disbelief - that kid was fully attached to that thing.

It was a public event so there were heaps of villagers there as well, fully cheering on the happy couple.

It only took a few tries before the cork went flying high, landing straight in the bonfire. The sparkling champaign started pouring out of the bottle at full force as Charity sprung forward with a load of flute glasses, trying to savor as much of the alcohol as she could.

Aaron couldn’t believe how happy he was. He grabbed a glass from his aunt and filled it up with champaign. He then poured one for his husband to be. They smiled at each other as they clinked their glasses together, toasting each other as a testament to how happy they were at that moment.

The night continued on and at one point Liv had managed to grab hold of him and congratulate him like any little sister would - by smacking a veil on top of his head.

“Well, how is the lovely bride to be” Aaron smirked, removing the veil as fast as possible

“Very funny Liv” she just laughed. Seb came up to them both and tapped Aaron on the arm

“Dad, Can I go over to Isaac’s later?” Aaron laughed, not surprised he wasn’t getting congratulations from the stroppy soon to be 12-year-old. He’d been nothing but sullen and angry lately. 

He still relented anyway, “Yeah, alright. But I’m coming to pick you up later. You do have school tomorrow” Seb groaned and walked off to find Isaac.

“Is it something I said?” said Aaron incredulously, Liv just shrugged and patted him on the shoulder.

“You’re a good dad, he’s sure to be happy for you. He’s just not good at showing it” she told him supportively. She smiled then, “I turned out alright didn’t I?” Aaron smirked.

“That’s questionable”

“Hey!” she said, her eyes opening wide in protest

“I’m kidding!”

Just then they heard a loud noise coming from the other side of the bonfire. It was Cain and Sam trying to get Conner to drink out of the big welly full of ale they were holding.

“Drink from the welly!” they both started chanting.

“Oh god,” Aaron said as both him and Liv went over to save the man.

“Cain, Sam, leave him alone” Aaron begged,

“It’s part of the initiation, he wants to be part of this family so..” Aaron laughed and looked at Conner who looked completely terrified of the idea. Aaron knew he had to save him from this scenario.

“I think we just save it for the actual wedding yeah?”

Cain and Sam looked at each other, both of them visibly intoxicated before they relented and left the two fiances to themselves. Liv laughed at the two of them,

“God, Conner you’re gonna need all the luck you can get in this family” she then wandered off to another side of the bonfire where she found Belle talking and laughing with April.

Now by themselves again, Aaron moved in close to the other man, Conner then throwing an arm over his lover's shoulder. “I can’t believe you planned this” Aaron whispered into his fiance's ear. 

Conner shrugged and laughed it off, “Well who doesn’t love a good bonfire night on the 5th of November?” Aaron just shook his head with a big grin on his face as he moved closer and kissed him on the lips. He really loved this man, more than he thought he could have 3 years ago when they met.

The fireworks were still sending sparks into the air, as the men both looked up into the sky and admired them. The moment was beautiful, the sky glowing as it lit up in lights.

Then the moment was suddenly ruined by Adam running up and wrapping his arms around the pair of them.

“I’m so made up for you mate!” he bellowed and Aaron could smell the alcohol on his breath. He shook his head and laughed at his best mate. 

“How much have you had to drink?” he asked quizzically.

Adam had a distant look in his eye as he gazed between the two men. “Ahm, 2 or 3….or 10 beers” he slurred and Aaron shook his head with a smirk. He gave Conner a knowing look and he just laughed and nodded his head.

“You go sort him out. I’ll be here when you get back” Aaron grinned and moved in to kiss the other man before he wrapped an arm around his best mates back, carrying most of his body weight until he was able to lean him against a nearby fence. He rushed over to the cool box, which sam was dozing off next to on a lounger, and grabbed a bottle of water. He then rushed back to Adam so the other man could take a sip from the bottle.

He leaned back and sighed deeply. 

“I wish I was getting married,” he said with a pout and Aaron rubbed his back.

“You will one day mate, you just gotta hold out for the right woman” Adam chuckled softly as he looked down to his feet, kicking a stray rock which then went tumbling through the grass.

“See, I thought I found her, and I wanted to come home to her...only to find she’s moved to flippin Cornwall.”

“Well, you know what happened, she needed a fresh start” Adam nodded and looked at Aaron sadly, admitting a sigh of defeat. They’d already been through this so many times in the 5 years Adam had been back.

“I missed so much when I was away” he sighed.

“Well you’re back now aren’t you?” Aaron asked dubiously. Adam nodded his head, clutching the bottle of water firmly in his grasp.

“Yeah, and you best bet I’m gonna be there for your wedding” Aaron smiled and patted the other man on the back.

“I owe it to you considering I wasn’t there for your last one,” Adam said nonchalantly as he then took another sip of his water. It was only a throw-away comment but it sent a shock suddenly through Aaron’s whole body. He hadn’t thought about that day in years but it all came back to him in a flash. He’d been so happy, so in love - so in love, it hurt to think about now. 

He remembered the blonde hair and blue eyes that had been staring back at him as he stood at the altar; the crowd watching on as he shared his vows for the world to hear. 

Adam looked at him and saw the cold expression on the other man's face, Aaron now gazing at the ground in front of him, a distant look in his eye. 

“Ah damn, man sorry, I wasn’t thinking” Aaron blinked and shook his head, looking at Adam quickly.

“No, I uh...it’s fine” Aaron cleared his throat and looked at his best mate. He moved away from the fence, pulling the other bloke with him. Adam stumbled a bit and Aaron knew he could barely walk straight.

“Let’s get you home, mate. You’re a mess” Adam just laughed and nodded his head. 

Aaron looked down at his phone and texted his fiance that he was heading back down to the village to drop Adam home. 

Conner replied a moment later:

All good. I’ll see you back at the house. I’ll look out for Seb.

Aaron smiled as he read the text. Conner was a good man, and he looked out for both him and Seb more then he needed to. He was everything he could want in a man, handsome, kind, funny, pretty fit if Aaron had anything to say about it. 

But why then, did Aaron now have a certain blonde man stuck in his head?

***  
A few hours later Aaron was on his way back to The Mill, having dropped Adam off at Keepers Cottage and practically forcing a cup of tea down his throat to sober him up.

He was now strolling through the village, his hands in his pockets as he stared at the ground as he walked. It took a second to process as he suddenly stopped in his tracks as the garage came into view. He stood there and looked at the building, breathing deeply. He tried to will himself to believe that it was just a building but he knew that wasn’t true. That building held so much history that he couldn’t help but think of the time he once exchanged his vows there, or when he got back together with the love of his life.

But he hadn’t been the love of his life, Aaron tells himself. That was another life, another era. Now he was spending the rest of his life with Conner.

He continued walking towards his home, the cottage now coming into his view. He just wanted to have a nice long shower now and settle in for the night, cuddled up to his soon to be husband. Not a second later he heard yelling coming from The Mill.

“You’re not my Dad, so stop trying to be!” It was Seb’s voice that automatically forced Aaron to run into the house, concern flooding his mind.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” Aaron yelled as he entered through the front door, only to see Seb throwing a cushion at Conner.

“Nothing it’s fine” Seb yelled as he glared at Conner. He then huffed and walked up the spiral staircase to his room.

Aaron watched on with a confused and concerned look on his face. He turned to Conner who was sitting at the table now with his head in his hands.

“I just asked him what he thought of us getting engaged. He just kind of flipped out. I don’t know what’s wrong with him” Aaron sighed deeply and looked up the stairs. He could see the light glowing from Seb’s room.

“I’ll check on him okay. I’ll see you in bed” Aaron went over and kissed Conner on the forehead, then moved towards the stairs.

“I love you Aaron”, Aaron stopped and looked back at the other man.

“I love you too,” he said and then wandered up the stairs, Conner watching him with a glint of affection in his eyes.

When Aaron got to Seb’s door he knocked quietly only to hear the disgruntled ‘go away’ from the other side. Aaron sighed deeply.

“Come on mate, you’re not a proper teenager for another couple days, you’re already ahead of yourself with this moody attitude you have going on”.

A minute later the door is pulled open and the said moody teenager is walking back to sit on his bed in a huff.

“I’m surprised you even remember my birthday with Mr perfect hanging around all the time”. Aaron took a deep breath and walked into his room. He took a seat on the corner of his bed.

“I know you’ve had your reservations about Conner but he does really care about you, you know?” Seb just shrugs and continues to look away from his dad.

“I’ve just never thought he was right for you,” he said quietly. Aaron laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

“I think I should be the judge of that,” he said, but Seb continued talking.

“And now you’re going off and marrying him and you’re just gonna forget about me, and have loads of kids of your own. It’s never gonna be just you and me”

Aaron took a deep breath as he realised why Seb was so upset. He knew he was insecure about Aaron not being biologically his. But Aaron always tried to make him understand that it made no difference. He was his son...end of story.

“You know I will always care about you. You’re my Son okay. And Conner is just going to be your other dad”

“I already have another Dad,” Seb said forcefully, catching Aaron off guard. “But you never let me see him” Aaron took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He never knew how to respond when Seb brought up Robert. 

He’d kept his word to the other man, and made sure that Seb knew who his biological father was. Aaron had given him the note that Robert had handed to him on that fateful day, and Seb currently had it held firmly in his grasp - it now being a tattered piece of parchment that was barely even legible anymore. It made everything that much harder when Seb refused to give up on seeing him, asking Aaron practically every year if he could go see him on his birthday. 

Aaron had tried for the first few years that Seb started asking - but Robert never accepted their requests to see him. Eventually, he’d given up and now Seb resented Aaron for it. 

“I’m sorry mate. You know I can’t make that happen.” Seb had tears start to well up in his eyes.

“Can you just leave me alone?” Aaron sighed, his heart breaking as he watched his son curl into a ball on his bed, hugging the letter close to his chest. 

“You know I love you Seb. I’ll always look out for you”

“If you loved me you wouldn’t marry Conner” Aaron stayed silent for a second, not knowing how to respond.

“I’m sorry bud, but I love him”

“Yeah, and you loved my Dad once too remember - and you married him. Still are married to him as far as I can see - so good luck marrying Conner even if you want to”.

Aaron’s breath caught in his throat because Seb was right. Aaron screwed his eyes shut in anguish and he realised what this meant. He hadn’t even thought about it. He couldn’t marry Conner because he was still married to Robert.

Well shit, Aaron thought as he got up from Seb’s bed. He looked around, flustered, and realised he needed to talk to Conner as soon as possible.

“You know where I am if you want to talk mate,” he said, trying to hide his sudden panic. He bent over and pulled the covers over Seb. He then walked over to the door, switching off the light and running straight to his room as fast as he could.

As he walked in he noticed that Conner was lounging out on their bed, his hand holding up his head and a sexy expression on his face. He'd obviously been waiting for Aaron. But as soon as he saw the worried look on his fiances face he sat up with concern.

“What’s up?” he asked worriedly.

Aaron didn’t know how to speak, he could barely get the words out.

“I can’t marry you,” he said quietly and he watched as the colour drained from Conner’s face. 

“What...What do you mean?” he asked with an exasperated breath. Aaron screwed his eyes shut and sat on the corner of the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed deeply. He looked at Conner with a sorry look on his face.

“I want to. Don’t get me wrong.. But I literally can’t”.

“Why?” conner asked, his voice practically close to tears.

“Because I’m already married,” Aaron told him quietly. Conner looked at him and screwed up his forehead, hurt filling his gaze. 

“You what?” he said forcefully, the anger now starting to seep through. He looked at Aaron and saw the sorry look on his face. Aaron looked at him and figured his mind must be overflowing with so many questions right now.

“Robert?” Conner asked and Aaron nodded slowly. “You mean to tell me that it’s been 10 years and you’ve not divorced him yet?”

“I’m sorry okay” Aaron cried, “I know I should have told you. But I just never thought I would have needed to” Conner’s expression was full of pain and anger. 

“What? So you never thought that we would get married? That never even crossed your mind? It’s been three fucking years Aaron!”

“I told you I’m sorry! But I will sort it okay”

“How?”

Aaron didn’t say, but he had a pretty good idea already in his head of what he needed to do. He wanted to marry Conner. There was no doubt about it. But first, he needed to be face to face with Robert Sugden.

He needed to see his ex-husband… in the flesh.

1 WEEK LATER

Aaron couldn't believe he was actually here. It had been 10 years ago that he had stood in this exact same spot, not knowing that minutes later his whole world would be ripped apart. It felt surreal how familiar it all felt, even though it was so long ago.

He was sitting in the exact same visitor’s room, the exact same table where his heart had been ripped from his chest and crumpled into millions of pieces. It was nerve-wracking being sat just waiting for Robert to walk through the prison gates. He didn’t know what to expect, he hadn’t seen the man in 10 years, he must look so different now. 

He was breathing deeply, watching the tick of the clock as he looked around the room. There were plenty of other people waiting for their loved ones to walk through those gates, but they looked nowhere near as nervous as he did.

They’re probably here every week. Bet they were never turned away from their loved ones. Aaron thought irratatedly. But he scratched that thought, remembering that that wasn’t why he was there.

He was there to divorce the man, not make up with him. It was at that moment though where the alarm ringed to signify that the prison gates were opening. Aaron’s stomach suddenly filled with butterflies. He tried to will away the feeling, but he couldn’t help it when his breath caught in his throat when he locked eyes with his husband.

He looked older, his hair starting to grey and his skin was slightly wrinkled around his forehead, and especially around his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept a wink in the 10 years he’d been here. He was looking at him with an expression that Aaron couldn’t read, almost a look of wonder like he couldn’t believe that he was actually here. 

He was in a single file line of other men, all wearing the same maroon sweatshirt and blue sweatpants. It took a while for him to reach the table that Aaron was sitting at, as the guards watched like hawks as each of the prisoners greeted their loved ones. When he was standing above Aaron though, there was only tension between the two of them as Robert slowly took a seat.

“Hi” he said, his voice croaky. It sounded like he was about to burst into tears. But he held his composure as he managed to put on a small smile.

Aaron gulped as he looked at the other man. This wasn’t who he once loved. This was barely even a shell of him.

“Hi” Aaron said tentatively. He didn’t exactly plan out in his head how this was going to go. He could barely comprehend how he was feeling right now to even get any words out.  
“How are you?” Robert asked, after a few minutes of silence. Aaron shook his head and laughed softly, as if in disbelief.

“How are you. Wow, what a way to break the ice after 10 years” he said, refusing to look at the other man.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to say. And I genuinely want to know how you are” Aaron nodded, turning to look Robert in the eye. He didn’t say anything still.

“How’s Seb?” Robert tried again. This time Aaron scoffed. 

“I’m surprised you’re even letting me see you. I don’t how many times I requested to see you. How many times Seb begged me to see you. But you managed to turn us down every damn time” Aaron said with a slight grimace.

“I…” Robert tried to explain himself but couldn’t think of anything. “I’m sorry” he decided to go with instead.

Aaron just sighed deeply, the tension between them was almost too much to bear.

“I figured it’s the first request you’ve sent me in five years so it must be for an important reason,” Robert said softly. He was now looking at Aaron with an expectant look in his eye.

Aaron sighed deeply. He had no idea how he was going to get through this. He stayed silent for a moment and Robert just kept staring. When he still didn’t say anything Robert chose to speak instead.

“I have something that I need to tell you actually..” he started, Aaron looking at him skeptically now... “I’m… ah... I’m…” he tried to get the words out. 

“I came here because we need to get divorced” Aaron cut in. Robert looked at him and you could see his heart practically drop in his chest.

“What?” Robert begged softly, pain evident in every feature of his face.

“I’ve met someone else,” Aaron said, figuring it would be better to just rip off the bandaid. Robert screwed his eyes shut as if he was now facing his worst nightmare.

“Are you surprised? It’s been ten years Robert” Aaron stated, but Robert looked away refusing to meet the other man’s gaze. He continued to stay silent.

“He’s asked me to marry him. And I want to marry him, Robert”. Robert nodded, a tear now visibly welling up in his eye.  
“I can’t marry him until we get divorced. So that’s why I’m here” Robert just nodded again, pursing his lips together and chewing the inside of his mouth. He was now staring down at his hands. Aaron tried not to get teary as he noticed the titanium ring that was still placed firmly on the other man’s ring finger. He shook his head and tried to not feel guilty, but a part of him couldn’t help it. He tried to tell himself that he’s not done anything wrong. He still purposely hid his own hand under the table, trying to hide his own ring that was currently on his ring finger. Because he was wearing a ring..just not the same one as he used to.

“Can you just say something please?” Aaron begged after a moment. Robert looked up at him, the tear falling down his face in defeat. 

Then Robert finally spoke, and Aaron’s world came crashing down again, just like it had all those years ago.

“I’m...I’m being released in two weeks”


	2. I just want to hold you tightly

Aaron’s face was pale, his hands now sweaty, his breathing heavy as he tried to contain himself. Robert just continued to stare at him from across the table, waiting for Aaron to react. Aaron just stayed silent for what felt like an eternity.

He didn’t know what he was feeling; Joy? Anger? Excitement? Confusion? All he knew was that his heart was beating a mile a minute, and the butterflies continued to flutter in his stomach.

He started to slowly shake his head; this couldn’t be happening. His mind could barely process that this was actually happening.

“Two weeks?” Aaron asked quietly, only just managing to get the words out. He couldn’t believe it. Robert nodded, his hands now grasped tightly together on the table between them.

“H, H..How? I thought you still had 15 years?” Robert laughed in disbelief, looking over at the big windows that led to the outside world.

“Wow, not even a glimpse of happiness. You really have moved on”

“I’m sorry I’m just shocked,” Aaron said, his face still etched in confusion.

“The prison’s getting too full. They figured I’ve served enough time, I’ve managed to keep my head down. So they granted me early parole.”

Aaron sniffed and scratched the tip of his nose, looking away for a moment. He looked at Robert and willed him to look at him in return, but Robert kept his head down, not looking away from the ring on his own hand.

“Wh...Where are you going to go?” Aaron asked carefully, not wanting to make things worse. Robert sniffed and wiped away a stray tear.

“Obviously not to Emmerdale,” he replied, finally looking up and looking Aaron in the eye. Aaron had a sudden feeling of relief wash over him. It was probably a good thing that he wouldn’t have to face his ex every day as he tried to move on with his future husband. Another part of him also felt slightly disappointed though, but he tried to bury the feeling, not wanting to let his emotions get the better of him.

“Where will you go then?” Aaron asked softly, Robert just sighed deeply.

“Cornwall,” he said, “Vic’s said I can go live with her till I get back on my feet”. Aaron frowned in confusion.

“What? Vic’s been to visit you?” Robert shook his head,

“I rung her. I told her the news last week. She was shocked, to say the least...but happy for me”.

“What? And you just completely forgot to ring me? What about Seb?” Robert laughed in disbelief.

“I thought about it, trust me. But good thing I didn’t, considering what you just told me”

“Forget about me, Robert! What about your son? You don’t even want to see him?” Aaron was getting angry now. He couldn't believe Robert was just going to move to Cornwall and forget all about his own flesh and blood.

Robert didn’t say anything. He just looked away again, focusing on the windows. He couldn’t help feeling trapped right now and all those windows symbolised was his freedom. It was so close now. He couldn’t believe that it was only another fortnight and he would be able to experience that fresh Britain air again.

“Of course I want to see him!” Robert said through gritted teeth. “I’m not going to rock up in the village now though if it means it’s gonna wreck the life you’ve created for yourself, the life you’ve created for him”.

Aaron took a deep breath and forced his eyes shut. He couldn’t believe after all this time, Robert continued to want the best for him. It ripped at his heartstrings more than it should have. Aaron and Robert were just looking between each other, their eyes not leaving the others. The tension was intense, and neither of them wanted to look away.

“Like I said,” Aaron started, finding his words carefully, “Seb is your Son. And he’s wanted to see you ever since he can remember. I don’t care where you end up, Emmerdale or Cornwall or fucking New Zealand. At the end of the day, I shouldn’t have anything to do with your decision to see your son.”

Aaron couldn’t take any more of this. He could feel the tears that had started to well up in his eyes. Robert was looking at him with remorse. Robert hated it when he hurt Aaron, but just like the last time they saw each other, there was nothing he could change or do about it.

“It’s his birthday today. You do remember when his birthday is don’t you?’ Aaron scolded

Robert just screwed his eyes shut, not saying anything.

“He’s 12, In case you’d forgotten that too”

The fact was that Seb didn’t need him. He had a Dad, Aaron. Aaron was a great dad, Robert just knew it. He didn’t want to step in and ruin whatever family they had created together, even though a part of him really wanted to.

“I think you should go,” Robert said quietly, still not taking his eyes off Aaron’s.

Aaron’s breath hitched in his throat. He gulped and then started nodding slowly.

“Will you let me know when you get out?” Aaron asked as he started to stand up. Robert looked down at the ring on his finger, he twisted it around for a second, still remaining seated as he looked up at the man that he still loved more than anything.

“Probably not,” Robert said, his voice cracking as he tried to hold back a flood of tears.

Aaron screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to feel the pain from Robert’s words. But they still cut deep whether he wanted them to or not. He nodded and started to move away from the table.

“Fine,” he said, wanting to get out of there as fast as he could. He couldn’t face the other man anymore, his heart was flooding with too many emotions and he wanted to get out of there before he gave too many of them away.

And with that, he turned away from Robert and started to head towards the door to the visitor's room. He didn’t look back as Robert continued to stare down at his ring, still twisting it on his finger.

“I love you,” Robert whispered to the empty seat in front of him. There was no way he could physically stop loving the man.

Robert didn’t know what his decision was going to be. All he knew was that he loved Aaron, and he wanted to see Seb. He missed both of them terribly, but he didn’t want to interfere.

He got up from his seat and walked to the gate leading back into the prison, still twisting the ring on his finger.

***

When Aaron got home later that day, he entered to cheers of joy and party blowers going off in his living room. His whole family was there, and Seb was in the middle of the room, a party hat on his head and a big grin on his face, opening a big present. Chas was watching him with an expectant look on her face, obviously hoping that her grandson was going to like the gift she’d got for him.

Conner was in the kitchen, a worried look on his face which Aaron could see hiding behind a smile. His eyes connected with Aaron’s as soon as he walked through the door, and they lit up as he started to move away from the kitchen bench.

He’d obviously been waiting for him to get home, wanting to know how the visit had gone.

“Dad!” Seb cheered in delight as he got up to greet Aaron. Aaron tried to bury his concerned facial expression as he hugged his son.

“Happy Birthday Mate!” he cheered and pulled the boy into a bear hug. He couldn’t help but hold him tighter than usual, not wanting to let him go ever again.

Chas walked over to the two of them and pulled Aaron into a hug, greeting him as he walked through the door.

“Where have you been love? You almost missed the cake!” she chastised him. He just laughed it off, hoping his facial expressions wouldn’t give away how sick in the stomach he was feeling right now.

“Sorry, had a last-minute scrap run this morning. Couldn’t get out of it”

“Well, you’re here now” Seb chirped and Aaron couldn’t help fluffing the blonde kid's hair. As he looked down at his son, he realised how much he had grown to look like his father.

Now Aaron couldn’t get the man out of his head. He didn’t know what to do or think. He suddenly felt a hand on his arm. He looked up to see Conner, the only one at the party who knew where he had actually been.

“You alright?” he whispered into his ear, as he pulled him into a hug. Aaron couldn’t lie to him,

“Had better days if I’m honest,” Conner moved away and looked at his fiance with concern.

“We’ll talk about it later yeah?” Aaron took a deep breath and nodded his head. Man, he was not looking forward to that conversation.

He decided, for now, he would focus on his son, the rest he could deal with later.

“Alright! Mum, you said something about cake?” he suggested with a hopeful look in his eye. Everybody around them laughed as Chas just rolled her eyes.

“Oi, cheeky. That’s the real reason you’ve shown up innit?” she laughed as everybody got up and gathered around the dining table, a big cake sitting right in the middle.

***

The party had finally settled down and people were starting to leave as the day turned into night. Seb was laughing away in the corner with Isaac, looking through a book that Cain had got him for his birthday.

Cain sighed and called out for his son,

“Isaac,” he said, “Let’s go, your tea’s ready at home”

The other young boy looked up at his dad and frowned,

“But dad, this book is so funny!” Cain didn’t look interested one bit in the book, having obviously just picked it out at random. Although, Aaron thought, it was a shock that he had actually got Seb a present in the first place.

Cain gave his son a deadpan look, and Isaac knew automatically not to push it any further. He got up from where he and Seb were and stormed out of the house.

Cain just rolled his eyes at the stroppy kid's behaviour. Aaron laughed as he watched Cain follow him out the door. Suddenly it was the three of them; him, Conner and Seb.

Aaron had a feeling that he should tell Conner the news sooner rather than later. He knew it would be best if he just told him though, not wanting to spark up any hope in Seb's mind about Robert coming back.

He didn’t want his son’s heart to shatter more than it was already. The news that his dad was being released but had no intention of coming to see him, well, Aaron knew that would just break his heart even more.

“Seb, mate. Why don’t you take all these presents up to your room?” he suggested to his son. The boy sighed and nodded his head, knowing that it wasn’t worth the argument. He chucked everything into a basket by his feet and picked it up in a huff, taking everything up the spiral staircase, leaving just Conner and Aaron by themselves on the sofa.

“Conner, I need to tell you something,” Aaron blurted out as soon as they were alone. The other man’s face was automatically overcome with worry. He turned to face his fiance on the couch, one leg bent as he moved in close to listen to Aaron.

“What is it? What happened at the prison, did you see him?” Conner asked quickly. Aaron knew that him going to the prison had been stressing Conner out for days. The day had been looming over both of their heads all week. Now that Aaron was sitting in front of Conner, having seen his ex-husband for the first time in 10 years, all Conner could think about was what it meant for him and Aaron.

Aaron placed a reassuring hand on his fiance’s shoulder. He then proceeded to nod his head, confirming to Conner that he had come face to face with the man he used to love.

Conner screwed his face up in anguish, he didn’t know what to think right now, but all he could do was listen to what Aaron had to tell him.

“He looks so…” Aaron didn’t know how to describe the man he had seen, but it definitely hadn’t been the man he had married all those years ago. “He just looked so broken,” Aaron told his fiance.

“What did he say?” Conner begged, “About you two getting divorced?”

Aaron didn’t know how to have this conversation, it was breaking his heart all over again, thinking about what had been said at the prison visit.

“We didn’t really get that far,” Aaron admitted. It was like he could see the thoughts running through Conner’s mind. God, what must he be thinking right now? Aaron thought to himself.

“What? What do you mean you didn’t get that far? That was the whole reason for you being there!” Aaron screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore how pushy Conner was sounding. He knew this was stressful for him, but Aaron just wished Conner could see how hard this actually was for him.

But he had to continue, he needed to tell Conner the truth. He knew it was going to hurt him, but he didn’t want him to hear it from anyone or anything but him. He composed himself before he tried to get the words out.

“He told me that….” Aaron paused, Conner looked at him, his face etched in confusion.

“What, Aaron?” Aaron took a deep breath.

“He told me that he’s being released.” As soon as he said it, Conner started to violently shake his head, his face distorting into what can only be described as pure anger.

He got up quickly, grabbing a cushion and throwing it across the room.

“Conner!” Aaron begged, still sitting on the couch, trying to will his fiance to come and sit back down. “Conner, please! Calm down!”

“Calm down?” Conner yelled, “You seriously want to tell me to calm down?” He started pacing back and forth now, holding his hands above his head as he let out a roar of frustration.

“Please, you’ll disturb Seb. I don’t want him finding out about this!” Aaron tried to beg once more, but he knew there was no way his fiance was going to let this go.

“What? So he’s just going to come back here and expect to have his whole life back?” Aaron screwed his eyes shut as his inner turmoil was starting to take over. He didn’t think he could handle this anymore.

“No, I told him about you okay? He knows I want to marry you!” Conner looked down at him and he took a deep breath. Aaron got up and moved towards the other man, cupping his face in his hands.

“He’s not going to come between us okay?” He tried to reassure the other man. Conner just looked back at him with a sad look in his eyes. He took a deep breath, letting out his frustration as he breathed out. He closed his eyes, relishing in the feeling of his fiance's hands on his skin.

Aaron moved closer and kissed the other man’s lips. He then moved away a moment later and Conner finally looked like he had settled down.

“What else did he say then?” Conner asked quietly. Aaron sighed deeply as he took his hands away from the other man's face.

“He...He just said he would stay away. It sounded like he didn't want to get in the middle either.” Conner let out a sigh of relief.

"He said he would go and live with his sister in Cornwall," Aaron said.

“What?” Both the men were caught off guard as they heard Seb reveal himself from the top of the stairs. Aaron screwed his eyes shut in anguish as he hoped to god that his son hadn’t been listening in for too long.

“Seb..” Aaron tried, but it was too late as tears were already welling up in his eyes.

“You went to see my Dad?” he cried, his tears coming down his face all at once.

“Mate, I didn’t want you to find out like this”

Seb screwed his eyes shut as he turned away from his dad. He started pacing behind the sofa and Aaron tried to move closer to him,

“Don’t come near me!” Seb screamed, and Aaron’s heart almost shattered then and there.

“Seb, please!” 

“You went to see him on my birthday?” Aaron tried to blink away the tears that had now started falling down his face. “I’ve been wanting to see him on my birthday for as long as I can remember!”

“Seb, just listen to your dad for a minute” Conner begged, but the young boy just glared at Aaron’s fiance, and if looks could kill, Conner would be six feet under by now.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Seb demanded,

“Seb,” 

“You said he was being released?” Seb asked suddenly, almost with a hopeful tone in his voice, and Aaron took a deep breath as he realised how long Seb had been listening for.

Aaron didn’t want to lie to him then, so all he could do was a nod. Another tear fell down Seb’s young face.

“Why isn’t he coming home then? Why doesn’t he want to see me?” Aaron didn’t know what to say. This had been exactly what he had been afraid of when Robert had revealed he was moving to Cornwall.

Aaron just stared at the wall behind Seb, refusing to see his son with so much pain etched across his face.

“I don’t know,” was all he could manage to say.

Seb just looked at his dad with wide eyes, the tears continuing to fall down his face. Aaron wanted to run up to him and hold him, squeeze the pain out of him, never let him go ever again. 

But he knew that Seb wouldn’t let him do that right now.

The silence was deafening as Seb turned his gaze from his father to Conner, who was standing almost sheepishly behind his fiance.

“It’s because of him, isn’t it?” Seb said with a pointed glare. Conner screwed his eyes shut, trying not to connect eyes with the young boy.

“Seb..no, it’s not like that,” Aaron begged.

“I’m not staying here with him under the same roof,” Seb said suddenly and Aaron looked at him with remorse written into every feature of his face.

“Seb, you don’t mean that,” 

“I want to stay at gran’s,” he said forcefully. Aaron just stared between his son and his fiance, not knowing what to say or do at that moment.

Eventually, he relented though. He nodded slowly. Aaron grabbed his phone out of his pocket and started dialing his mother's number.

Conner looked at Aaron with a sorry look on his face, and Aaron just looked back at him, a sad look in his eye as he took in a deep breath of air. 

He put the phone to his ear and it only took a moment before Chas picked up.

He didn’t want to give her cause for worry so he tried to make it seem as normal as possible. He didn’t want her to know about this either, knowing all she would do is bombard him with questions he didn't know the answer to. 

“Hi love, everything alright?” Aaron licked his lips and looked up at the roof. He was gripping onto his phone as tightly as humanly possible. He didn’t want to have to do this, but he just wanted Seb to be happy.

“Yeah, mum. Seb just wants to stay at the pub tonight. Can I bring him round?” He heard a bit of a kerfuffle on the other end of the line, Chas obviously multitasking as she was talking to her son.

“Ahm.. yeah that’s fine love. Any particular reason?”

“Nothing, he just wants to hang out with you and Paddy.” He looked at Seb who didn’t seem phased by the lie. He was just standing his ground, as he wiped his eyes which were now looking red and raw.

“Yeah, we’d love to have him. I’m sure Henry would be glad to see him too.” Aaron nodded and took a deep breath, looking over at Seb who now had a hopeful look in his eye.

“Okay, I'll walk him over in a bit.”

“See you soon love,” Chas said at the other end of the line. Aaron hung up the phone, bringing the device away from his ear. Seb looked at his father with an expectant look on his face.

“I’ll come up to help you pack,” he said as he gestured for Seb to go up the stairs in front of him. 

Aaron looked back at Conner whose face was unreadable at this point. He looked at his fiance with remorse written across his face.

“Aaron..” but Aaron cut him off.

“We’ll talk when I’m back,” he said forcefully as he followed his son up to his room.

Aaron’s heart was aching more than he thought possible. He hated how this whole thing had turned out. He didn’t know how he could help Seb, or how he could make Conner feel less insecure. It was all too much.

It was only a few days ago he had felt happier than he had in ages. Now his whole world was turning upside down and he had no way of turning it back.

Robert was being released. It had officially sunk in and Aaron knew he had to face up to the fact. There was no sugarcoating it, it was happening whether Aaron wanted it to or not.

But there was a niggling feeling in the back of Aaron’s mind. He didn't want to admit it but Aaron knew that a part of his heart was always going to belong to Robert. Seeing him today had only reconfirmed what Aaron had already known for years.

Aaron knew he had to bury it.

His and Robert’s story was over.

His and Conner’s story had only just begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm so happy that so many of you liked the first chapter of this! It means so much that people like my fics :)
> 
> I know this chapter was pretty Conner/Aaron heavy but the next one will be from Rob's perspective.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments :)


	3. You can't give up without a fight.

The next two weeks were possibly the longest weeks of Robert’s life. It had been a grueling ten years; his blood, sweat, and tears being spilled out in gallons, his heart cold as he would lay still in his small cot at night, staring up at the small window of his cell. It had always seemed like his only connection to the outside world.

His hands were covered in scars, his knuckles butchered thanks to the countless times he’d been thrown into the midst of a fistfight. He’d tried to keep his head down, keeping to himself. But, from the first week, when he’d been thrown into this cold cell, all the other prisoners knew he had been married to a man.

And that had made him a target from day one.

He’d been beaten and bruised, kicked and punched to the point that he had barely known his own name. He’d been called everything under the sun, foul things that he knew weren’t worth repeating.

His life had been miserable; ten years of pain and agony. Ten years of the worst kind of torture any man could endure.

And then he had been called into the warden’s office.

He had been told he was being set free.

Formerly having been a shadow of his old self - now he at least had some hope. Now, he had something to look forward to.

The first thought that came to his head; it wasn’t that he was finally going to be free, it wasn’t that he might be able to still live a full and happy life. No, the first thing that came to his mind as soon as he knew he was being released; it was Aaron.

His Aaron. He could find him again, they could fall back in love, they could make up for the lost time and live the rest of their lives together, just like they had always planned.

But he didn’t call him. He was too scared too. He’d pushed him out of his life for good, and he knew it wasn’t his right to swan back into Aaron’s life as if nothing had ever happened.

So he’d called his sister. And she’d cried, and she’d begged him to come to live with her.

He hadn’t officially made his decision until he’d been staring his husband in the face, feeling his heart that had slowly been thawing from all the heartbreak, freeze all over again as the air was knocked out beneath him.

He’d felt like his lungs had been collapsing; like his heart was being squeezed and all life was draining from his soul.

His Aaron, his beautiful Aaron...didn’t want him anymore. He knew he should have known this was coming. But the pain was almost crushing as he stood by the front gate of the prison.

This was it. This had been the moment he’d been wishing for, for the last ten years. It had finally arrived…

But all Robert felt was dread.

He watched as the gates slowly started to open, and as Robert looked down at the suit he was wearing, the exact same one he’d been wearing ten years ago when he’d first been locked up, he couldn’t help but feel like he was stepping into another man’s life.

It just felt so surreal that this was actually happening. He took a step forward as the gates came to a halt, and the prison guard looked at him skeptically.

“Good luck out there,” the big man said, “You’re gonna need it.”

Robert nervously took a gulp of air as he slowly continued forward. This was it, this was his moment. All it would take was one more step.

As soon as he was on the other side of the gate, a cold breeze blew across his face. It felt amazing, it felt unreal. It didn’t contain the foul odor of prison air or the smell of fear. It was England; fresh Yorkshire air.

“Robert!” he heard a yell from across the street, and it took him a moment for his mind to recognise the voice. He looked over and saw his sister, standing there with tears of joy pouring down her face. She was standing in front of a taxi, and Robert could see the way she was standing with anticipation etched across her face. He took a deep breath, trying to will himself to believe that this was actually real and not just a dream.

A moment later he launched himself forward, letting go of the duffle bag he was holding in his arms and he ran across the road. He pulled Vic into a hug as fast as he possibly could, crushing her in his arms as the tears poured from his eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re here!” He cried as Vic just buried her face into her brother’s chest.

“I caught a flight up yesterday. I wanted to see you as soon as you got out,” she explained quickly. A moment later they pulled away from each other, a smile appearing on both of their faces as they realised the magnitude of the moment.

“I can’t believe it,” she said, as a stray tear traveled down her cheek. “I can’t believe you’re really out!” Robert just smiled sadly at her, moving his thumb to catch the tear on her face.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you,” he said softly. She laughed and looked over at the duffle bag that Robert had thrown aside just moments ago. She went to pick it up, noticing how empty it felt for a moment before she started to gesture Robert to get into the taxi.

“Come on then,” she said, “I bet you’ll be happy to get out of here as fast as possible!”

“You have no idea!” Robert laughed as he got into the vehicle.

He greeted the cab driver who just looked back at him with disinterest in his eyes. It was only a moment later when Vic swung open the door on her side of the taxi and moved into the back seat beside Robert.

“So? Where do you want to go first?” She asked him with a smile on her face. Robert looked down at his hands and saw his wedding ring still on his finger. A part of him wanted to say Emmerdale, but he knew that wasn’t really an option.

“I could really kill for a cheeseburger right now,” he said instead, his gaze meeting Vic’s who just shook her head and laughed. She gave him a quizzical look, and he just shrugged in response.

“What? You would want one too if all you’d eaten for the last ten years was the same old prison muck!” Victoria shook her head again, but nevertheless, she relented and leaned forward to speak to the taxi driver.

“The nearest Five Guys please,” she stated and Robert couldn’t help laughing out loud for the first time in what felt like forever.

Robert was in heaven. He couldn’t believe that this greasy burger that lay before him could taste like everything good in this world. Before he’d gone to prison he would have avoided food like this at all costs, but now it was the most perfect meal to introduce him back into the land of the free.

Vic was sitting across from him, slowly nibbling on the chips that she’d ordered for herself only moments ago. She just watched Robert eat, a pleased look on her face as she realised that she finally had her brother back.

“You have no idea how good this burger is,” Robert said, his mouth full of food. Vic screwed her face up in mock disgust,

“Charming,” she laughed. Robert just smirked as he watched her shake her head. He grabbed a napkin as he wiped his hands, finally finished with the burger. He then started to reach for some of Vic’s chips. She swatted his hand away quickly and he looked at her in shock.

“Hey piggy, these are mine!” she scolded, and Robert just smirked as he leaned back in his chair.

“Protective as ever I see, even for just a cup of chips,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of humour beneath his words.

“Yeah well i don’t like it when you take my things,” she said, but a smile was slowly making it’s way onto her face.

There was a beat of silence, neither of them saying anything for a moment. Vic straightened out her face as she sat forward, obviously wanting to get something off her chest.

“So, are you sure this is what you really want?” She asked, Robert’s face falling as he realised the tone of the conversation was moving somewhere more serious.

“What do you mean?” he asked her quietly, nonchalantly, now not taking his eyes off the plate of chips in front of him.

“Rob, last time we spoke, you hadn’t decided what you wanted. You were adamant that you were going back to Emmerdale.”

“I said I was thinking about it,” he corrected, still refusing to look his sister in the eye.

“I’m not saying I’m not glad you’re coming back with me to Cornwall..I just don’t want you to feel like you’re missing out on anything.” Robert looked up at his sister, a deadpan look on his face.

“You mean like I haven’t already missed out on ten years of my life?” Robert asked rhetorically. Vic just sighed deeply, her shoulders dropping in defeat.

“I mean...If you want to go and find Aaron, I think you should,” she said. Robert just screwed his eyes shut at the sound of his husband's name. “Not even for Aaron’s sake, but Seb’s?” Vic carried on.

“They’ve moved on Vic, they have another life now. And I’m not in it,” Robert admitted, his heart now restricting again like it always did when it felt pain. And Robert was really in pain. He’d only managed to feel numb the last few weeks, ever since Aaron had come to visit him. But now it was all coming back.

“How do you know that though?” Vic asked, her voice desperately trying to convince Robert that he still had a chance at a life he wanted.

But Robert knew that wasn’t true.

“He came to visit me,” Robert said, his voice cracking, his tears threatening to fall down his face.

Vic just looked at him, eyes open wide in shock.

“Seriously?” she asked, and Robert just nodded. “What did he do that for?” Vic asked, not unkindly, but Robert still flinched at her words.

“He’s...he,” the man willed himself to get the words out. Vic just sat across from him, waiting patiently for him to reveal his news.

“What is it? What did he say?” she really wanted to know. Robert sighed deeply,

“He’s getting remarried. He wanted to get divorced. I told him that I was being released….” Robert paused, his heart aching, “He was shocked, but he didn’t exactly seem thrilled by the idea.”

Vic just looked at her brother with a sad look in her eyes. Robert refused to look at her again, not wanting to feel her pity. She reached across the table and grabbed her brother’s hands in hers. He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “You can come home with me,”

Robert nodded, letting stray tears travel down his cheeks as he leaned back in his chair, hitting the back of it, in a sign of defeat. He felt like nothing but a broken man.

“But hey,” Vic said, her voice now filled with hope, tears travelling down her cheeks now as she saw how much pain her brother was feeling, “You’re free, okay? You’re finally free!”

Robert just smiled at her through his tears.

“You have the rest of your life ahead of you,” she whispered.

It had been a few days, and they had flown down to Newquay and caught the bus to Port Isaac, where Vic's little cottage was situated right on the seaside. Robert had to admit that Vic had really made a life for herself down here.

He could see himself settling down here.

Diane had been so happy to see him, crushing him into a hug as soon as he had walked through the door. He’d barely even been able to put his duffle bag on his bed before he was bombarded with questions about what had happened to him on the inside.

“I just can’t believe you’re really here,” the older woman cooed. Robert just smiled, not wanting to relive any of the nightmares that he had gone through in prison.

“It’s good to see you too, Diane,” he’d said.

He had been aswell, and he was so glad that he at least had this part of his family to come home to.

He was now lying in his bed in Vic’s guest bedroom, looking up at the ceiling as so many thoughts were running through his mind.

He was so far from Emmerdale, so far from his home. A part of him felt empty. Port Isaac was beautiful.

But it smelt like fish. And there was no Aaron.

There was no Seb. 

He loved Vic and Diane, and he didn’t know where he would be without them right now. He’d probably be sleeping on the streets somewhere, begging for food from anybody who could give it to him.

He didn’t have any money. He didn’t have a house to go home to.

He’d left everything for Aaron and Seb.

But even though he was grateful for his family’s love and support, and their willingness to help him get on his feet, he couldn’t help but feel like there was a part of him missing.

After a while, he’d finally decided to get out of bed and head into the kitchen, only to find a big breakfast being cooked on the stovetop.

The smell of bacon and eggs was heavenly to Robert, and his stomach gurgled in hunger as Vic turned to look at him, a big smile appearing on her face.

“I hope you’re hungry!” the chef chirped and Robert couldn’t help but smile at his sister. She did spoil him really.

“You didn’t have to,” he said as he took a seat at the dining table. He looked out the window and the ocean stared back at him, the ocean which he hadn’t seen in what felt like an eternity.

“I did have to,” his sister scolded, “I hope you know how scrawny you’re looking right now. You need some meat on your bones. Not some prison muck that’s probably come from 20-year-old cans,”

Robert screwed his face up, and his stomach gurgled in protest, obviously not liking the reminder of the horrible food he’d had to endure for the last ten years.  
He just smiled as his sister brought two plates of breakfast over to the table, then a moment later bringing two cups of tea. She sat down across from him and they both started to nibble away at the amazing food.

Robert rolled his eyes in satisfaction. There was no denying it, his sister was the best chef in all this world.

“This is amazing Vic,” he told her and she just smiled, glad to see he was enjoying it. It was silent for a moment, then Vic looked at him with a serious look on her face.

“Are you okay?” she asked him. It had been three days since he’d been released, and he’d barely spoken to either her or Diane about what he’d had to endure on the inside.

The truth was that Robert didn’t want to upset either of them. It would only break their hearts if he told them the truth.

But there was another part of him that almost missed prison. At least the part of him that was ignorant of what was happening out here in the big wide world.

He’d been able to live with the fact of not knowing whether Aaron had moved on or not. It had got him through the ten years that he had been locked away, the possibility that Aaron hadn’t moved on, that he would have been waiting for him when he got out.

Now he knew that it had been nothing but a pipe dream. It’s like Vic could read his emotions because she was looking at him with a sad look in her eyes.

“Aaron?” she asked, and all Robert could do was nod slowly, taking a sip of his tea as he tried to focus on his breakfast.

“I miss him, Vic,” Robert finally admitted. “I want to be back in his life,”

“What are you going to do about it then?” Vic asked, and Robert scoffed,

“I can’t do anything. He’s made up his mind, he wants to marry this other bloke. I’m completely history,” he said. He looked at his sister who was now furrowing her brow as she returned his gaze.

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

Robert just looked at her confused,

“Vic, I don’t know what you mean,” Vic just dropped her fork onto the plate of food in front of her.

“I’m sick of this moping thing you’re doing. The old Robert wouldn’t have given up without a fight,” she said forcefully, tough love now coming out of her at full force.

“Forget about this poncy snobby dude that Aaron’s hooked up with, he’s the love of your life for crying out loud!” Robert took a deep breath as he took in Vic’s words.

“Vic...I…I don’t want…” “You don’t want what?” she threatened, “You don’t want to be happy? You don’t want to be with Aaron? You don’t want to be with Seb?”

“That’s not the point, I don’t want to interfere!”

“Who cares if you’re interfering!” she yelled, “They’re your flippin family. Seb is your own flesh and blood. Nobody should be able to stand in the way of that!”

Robert screwed his eyes shut, not knowing what he should do right now. He was hearing what Vic was saying, but he didn’t know if what she was saying was enough to get him out of this slump.

“I don’t want to see you moping around for the rest of your life. I can’t see you give up your family because of something that was my fault to begin with!” Vic screamed. Robert snapped his head to look at her, his brow furrowed.

“Don’t ever say that! This was never your fault!” his voice was laced with anger and frustration and Vic just looked at him, slumping back in her chair.

“You went to prison because you were protecting me,” she said quietly.

“Yeah because of what that scumbag did to you! That doesn’t mean this is your fault. None of this is your fault,” Robert felt like he could be sick, had Vic been blaming herself for him being in prison this whole time?

Robert leaned forward and grabbed Vic’s hands, consoling the girl as memories were obviously starting to flood her mind.

“I will never let anything bad happen to you, you know that,” Robert said, and Vic nodded, a tear welling up in her eye. She swallowed and wiped it away, grabbing her brother’s hands as she regained her composure.

“So will you?” Vic asked after a moment of silence, Robert looked at her confused.

“Will I what?” he asked, Vic just shook her head in annoyance,

“Are you going to fight for Aaron and Seb?”

Robert gulped and then looked down at the wedding ring on his finger. He took a deep breath, clearing his throat as he tried to find his voice. If Vic had managed to convince him of anything, it was that life was too short to give up on those you love.

“Yeah, Yeah I think I will,” Robert could feel the certainty start to settle in his stomach. There was no way he would never fight for Aaron. He wouldn't give up even if it would kill him. The truth was, his life wasn't complete without Aaron and Seb. He was going to fight for his family.

Vic grinned as she looked at her brother from across the table.

“Good, because this other guy doesn’t stand a chance!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to support this story! I promise it's only just going to get more intense :)
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter. Next one is when things get interesting! ;)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	4. When two worlds collide

Robert looked in the mirror. He stood tall as he took a glance at the reflection in front of him; cleanly shaven, new clothes and a fresh haircut. He finally looked like a man who hadn’t spent the last 10 years in prison.

He grabbed hold of the lapels of his new blazer as he smiled. Now, this was Robert Sugden.

He and Vic had spent the day before shopping for everything that Robert needed to feel human again. Robert felt slightly guilty, as everything was being paid for with Vic’s bank account. However, she reassured him that it was okay, it was what he needed to start getting his life back together.

He thought to himself, I can’t win Aaron back if I look like a homeless person, now can I? It was only then that he let his sister trap him in the closest shopping mall for what felt like a decade.

Now, they were back at Vic’s and he was trying everything on that they had bought. Vic wandered into the room and smiled, noticing the proud look that Robert had on his face.

“You look brilliant,” she complimented him. He smiled back at her through his reflection, then turned to face her a moment later.

She had an expectant look on her face now like she had something important to tell him.

“What’s up?” he asked her as he then moved over to sit on his bed. It was then that he noticed she was hiding something behind her back. She moved forward into his room as she slowly pulled out what she was holding to show Robert.

“The last thing you need to really get your life back,” she told him, a small smile slowly making its way onto her face.

Robert looked closely at the tickets that Victoria was holding out to him. He thoughtfully grabbed hold of the tickets, turning them over to reveal what they were for.

They were flights for two people to Hotten. Robert’s heart fluttered because now it was starting to feel real.

He was going home, he was going to see his family, he was going to get his life back. He looked up at his sister with tears in his eyes. She moved forward and put an arm around her brother.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice quiet. She just gave him a reassuring rub on the back. He sighed deeply and looked at his sister.

“You bought two tickets” he pointed out, the realisation suddenly coming to him then. Vic shrugged,

“I wasn’t just gonna let you go by yourself,” she told him. He just smiled at her again.

“You really are amazing,” 

“I do try,” Vic said, a triumphant look making its way onto her face.

***  
It was a Sunday morning, and Aaron was still laying in bed. Conner was still sleeping soundly next to him, his back facing him as Aaron gazed out the window of their bedroom.

His mind had been running like crazy lately, very aware of the date and the fact that it had been more than two weeks since he had visited Robert in prison.

He’d barely slept a wink the last few nights, his thoughts driving him mad as he willed himself not to think about Robert being free.

But he was out. He had to be out by now. It had been two weeks already.

Aaron couldn’t help but feel slightly hurt that Robert had actually kept to his word and hadn’t told him when he was being released.

But it was torturing Aaron now just thinking about the fact that Robert was a free man.

And Seb, his beautiful Seb. He was going through so much pain, just thinking his father was out there somewhere, but choosing not to come and see him.

Aaron’s world was still spinning. He was exhausted, to say the least.

Suddenly his phone lit up on the nightstand next to him. He reached over to see that he had a text from his sister. He smiled as he read what Liv had texted.

Liv: Best be out of bed and have tea on the table. I’ll be at yours in 5.

He shook his head and smirked. She always managed to put a smile on his face, even when she wasn’t trying to.

He sighed and put his phone back on the nightstand. He then turned over to see that Conner was just starting to wake up. It was only another moment before he turned to look at Aaron, a smile making its way onto his face.

“Morning,” he said, his voice still groggy. He moved in closer to the other man and kissed him on the lips.

Aaron laughed, accepting the kiss.

“Morning,” he replied. It was only another second before Conner was on top of him, continuing to smile as he kissed Aaron again. Aaron sank back into the sheets as he let Conner’s hands start to roam over his body.

The kiss was slowly starting to get more heated, both of them breathing heavy, and Aaron really wanted to continue laying in bed with his fiance, enjoying the touch of his hands on his body.

The other man was slowly reaching his hand under Aaron’s shirt but then Aaron smirked, and gently pushed his fiance away from him.

“As much as I want this to continue, we’re about to have company,” he told his fiance who then looked at him with a confused and disappointed look on his face.

“Liv’s coming over,” Aaron told him. Conner sighed in frustration, getting off Aaron and flopping onto the empty side of the bed beside him. Aaron rolled his eyes and shook his head, a laugh escaping his lips as he started to get out of the bed.

He quickly changed and then headed downstairs, popping the kettle on as he grabbed some mugs from the cabinet.

It was only a few minutes later before Liv was letting herself into the house. Aaron had to laugh at the fact that she still just strolled in as if she’d never moved out.

“Hey,” she said as she seated herself at the dining table.

“Hey,” he replied as he moved over to hand her a cup of tea. She took it from his hands carefully as he sat down at the table next to her.

“Ah, yes!” she said in satisfaction as she took a sip of the hot drink. Aaron smirked as he looked over at his sister, a fond expression making its way onto his face.

“You’d think you were dying of thirst,” he pointed out with a hint of humour behind his words. Liv just looked at him deadpan,

“Yeah well, our kettle at the flat is broken innit’. Haven’t had a decent one in ages,” she told him. 

“I still don’t know why you’re so adamant about living in that crappy flat,” he said with a laugh. “You know you can always move back in here,” Liv just looked at him and shrugged, looking down at her tea,

“You don’t need me around getting in the way of your soppy romance,” she said with a mocking tone, and Aaron just smirked and shook his head,

“Yeah well the offer is always there if you want it,” he said. Liv just ignored him, as she was now looking around the flat, noticing the empty living room. She looked at him quizzically.

“The house seems quiet,” she said, then after a moment, “and...clean,”

Aaron sighed and looked down at his tea, knowing where the conversation was heading.

“Where’s Seb?” she asked him. He started to chew the inside of his cheek as he looked away from his sister. This was obviously a touchy subject right now.

“Still at mum’s,” Aaron told her and her eyes popped open, as she slammed her tea onto the table.

“Seriously?” Aaron flinched at her tone, “Aaron, it’s been two weeks!” she said, her voice incredulous as she continued to look at her brother, a bewildered look on her face.

“I know, okay? It’s just where he wants to be right now. Mum’s cool with it okay?”

Liv was shaking her head. “Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” she demanded, and Aaron knew he couldn’t lie to her. He looked up the stairs, wanting to keep an eye out for Conner, knowing this was a touchy subject for his fiance.

“You can’t tell anyone, especially mum and Paddy,” he told her quietly. She just stared at her brother, her face now filled with worry.

“Well, I can’t promise that,” she said, “Not if whatever it is has caused Seb to not want to be here,” she told him. He screwed his eyes shut.

Aaron just didn’t say anything.

“Is it serious? Chas must be wondering why he’s been staying with her for so long,”

Aaron screwed his eyes shut, because, yeah his mum had started asking questions. He’d managed to avoid having to tell her the truth though, only knowing it would cause more heartbreak in their lives, and he really didn’t want that.

“I’ve just told her that he’s really missed spending time with them lately. And he hasn’t really seen much of Henry,” Aaron admitted.

“But that’s not the truth is it?” she asked, and he couldn’t help but shake his head. Liv continued to furrow her brow,

“Aaron, if it’s that serious that you can’t even tell Chas, then you need to at least tell me,” she demanded.

“Robert’s being released!” he said quickly. He leaned back, slamming into the back of his chair as he started to run his fingers through his hair in frustration. He sighed deeply as he looked at his sister, her face now full of shock.

“He’s been released,” Aaron corrected himself, his voice quieter now.

“Seriously?” Liv said, her voice quiet, her eyes open wide in astonishment. Aaron nodded his head as he looked back at her, a sad look in his eyes.

Liv couldn’t believe it. Robert was free. She didn’t know how to feel. A part of her was joyous, as she had hoped for so long that one day her brother-in-law would finally be free again. But then another part of her remembered the heartbreak that both she and Aaron had endured all those years ago.

She felt conflicted. She could see the anguish in her brother’s eyes though and she could only imagine what he must be going through.

“Seb knows?” Liv asked after a while and Aaron nodded his head.

“He found out when Connor and I were talking,” he told her. She screwed her eyes shut, as she then wondered what on earth was going through her nephew's mind.

“He was upset, and he heard Conner going off about how he didn’t want Robert coming back here. So he’s decided that he doesn’t want to be under the same roof as him.”

Liv furrowed her brow, “Conner shouldn’t really be able to decide that though, should he?” Liv said, her voice now full of cynicism. Aaron just sighed deeply, not wanting to get into it right now with his sister.

“Look, I’m just saying. If Robert wants to come home, we can’t stop him.”

Aaron nodded, not saying anything.

“I just want my son home. I don’t know what to do,” Aaron said, moving forward, throwing his face into his hands on the table.

Liv just stared at him from across the table. She was still barely processing this. Robert flaming Sugden was actually a free man again.

“Do you know where Robert is? If he’s already been released?” she asked, with a hopeful tone to her voice. Aaron sat up again, holding his hand to his forehead, keeping his eyes shut firmly.

“I don’t know,” he said in a tone of defeat, “Cornwall I guess. With Vic,” he looked at his sister, and they both shared a small smile.

Just then they both heard the sound of footsteps. They both turned to see Conner coming down the stairs. His hair was wet as he had obviously just taken a shower, and he was adjusting his shirt as he sauntered towards the pair of them. He smiled when he saw Liv and she smiled back. Aaron noticed though that it wasn’t really reaching her eyes.

“Hey Liv,” Conner said, a chirpy tone to his voice.

“Hey Conner,” she replied. There was silence as Conner moved over to the kitchen. He started to make his breakfast and both Liv and Aaron were sharing a look. It was as if to say that their conversation was over, knowing it was probably best not to bring the subject of Robert up in front of Aaron’s fiance.

Liv looked down at her tea and quickly brought it to her lips as she skulled the rest of it, suddenly wanting to get away from the tension in the room as fast as possible.

“I’m heading into Hotten for the day, so I best get going,” she said, now in a rush as she got up from her chair.

Aaron looked like he was about to protest, but Liv just gave him a knowing look and he seemed to relent. She smiled at Conner as she then rushed over to the front door, letting it slam behind her.

A moment later Conner smirked,

“She was in a rush,” he said, a tone of humour laced beneath his words. Aaron just nodded, as he took another sip of his tea.

“Yeah, must have been something I said,” Aaron admitted softly.

***  
It was 2 o’clock in the afternoon and they had been sitting at the coffee shop outside the Hotten bus station for the past two hours.

It was the butterflies in Robert’s stomach, they were driving him crazy. He hadn’t worked up the courage to buy the bus ticket to Emmerdale yet, both him and Vic choosing to get a coffee instead. It was a failed attempt at trying to settle some of Robert’s nerves, but so far, it hadn’t worked.

Vic was being patient with him, not wanting to push him any further. She was going to wait until he was ready, knowing it must feel so surreal to him, them both being so close to the place they had grown up.

Heck, even she had her reasons for feeling nervous. She hadn’t been back to Emmerdale for the past eight years. This was almost as much of a big deal for her as it was for her brother.

“How are you feeling?” she asked him, and he just looked back at her with a hint of worry in his eyes.

“I just have no idea how he’s going to react,” he admitted, running his hands up and down his thighs. They were feeling clammy from his nerves, and his heart was beating a mile a minute.

“I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you!” Vic tried to reassure him, but even she didn’t know if that was actually going to be the case. Neither of them knew what kind of reception they were going to get.

Robert screwed his eyes shut as he leaned forward, taking a deep breath, trying to get his breathing under control. He looked up at his sister.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea,” he suggested and Vic started to protest and she saw her brother starting to lose his bottle.

“Hey no, Robert. You can do this okay?”

“What happens when I see Seb?” he asked quickly, “What am I supposed to say to him after ten years? What if he looks at me like I’m a complete stranger?”

He was really starting to panic now. Vic was trying to come up with a way to calm him down but she couldn’t think of anything.

“Because that’s what I am to him, isn’t it?” Robert pushed, and Vic just looked at her brother with a sad look. “I’m a complete stranger to my own son!”

He got up from his chair, as he was completely flustered now. He was looking around him, trying to look for some kind of escape, any kind of way out of this place, as his panic attack was starting to completely take over.

Vic got up then too, wrapping a reassuring arm around her brother as he tried to compose himself. But it just wasn’t working, and he was driving himself crazier with each passing second.

“Just breathe, Robert, breathe. It’s going to be okay,” she was trying to soothe him as much as she possibly could, but she knew that she wasn’t being helpful in the slightest.

But Robert did what she said, and took in a deep breath. He let it out a moment later as the cold air finished filling up his lungs. He continued to breathe in and out for a second, now looking at his sister with a look of pain in his eyes.

“I think we should just go back to Cornwall. I don’t think I can do this yet,” Vic sighed and looked at her brother sadly. But she relented, nodding her head.

They both turned around, starting to head to the bus that would take them back to the airport.

Then... They both stopped in their tracks.

Robert’s breath was knocked completely from his lungs, his breath hitched in his throat.

He didn’t know what to do as he took in the blonde girl in front of him.

No, not a girl anymore, Robert had to tell himself.

She was a woman. 

She was Liv.

And she was staring right at them.

“Robert?” she asked, her voice unsure as she took in the man in front of her. Her face was almost close to tears.

Robert couldn’t believe his eyes. He was breathing deeply as she started to move closer towards them.

“Liv,” he said his voice barely above a whisper.

Liv didn’t say anything. She just kept moving towards them, her face unreadable. Robert didn’t move. He just remained standing in the same spot as he had been moments earlier.

It didn’t take long before Liv was standing an arm's length away, and all Robert wanted to do was hug her, wrap his arms around her and never let her go again.  
But then, it only took a second, but a hard, stinging slap hit Robert right across the face.

“Liv!” Vic yelled at her, and Robert just closed his eyes shut as the sting of Liv’s palm lingered even after she’d moved her hand away.

She had a look of anger etched across her face, and it was mixed with a hint of sadness. Robert knew then that Aaron and Seb weren’t the only ones he’d let go all those years ago.

“Liv, I’m so sorry” was all he could manage to say to her, his voice cracking slightly as he tried to get the words out.

Liv just looked up at him, still not saying anything. She just gulped as she looked up at her brother-in-law, taking him in as she realised she was actually seeing him, in the flesh. He wasn’t just a picture from a memory long forgotten. It was Robert.

The same Robert who used to help her with her algebra homework.

The same Robert who would nag her to clean up after herself.

The same Robert who loved her and supported her through everything, even when she was in youth offenders.

It only took a moment before a tear traveled down her cheek. She then launched herself into her brother-in-law's arms.

Robert was caught off guard, but once he’d got used to the shock of having a crying Liv clinging on to him, he moved his arms, trapping her in a tight embrace.

A tear fell down his cheek as he turned to Vic, and she smiled at him, a proud smile.

Robert knew then, he had to return to Emmerdale.

It was his home, It was where he belonged.

***  
“I still don’t understand why Seb is still staying with me, he’s your Son, Aaron! He should be home with you and Conner!” Chas was yelling at Aaron now from across the wooden table.

They were outside the woolpack; him, Conner and Adam. Aaron was trying to get his mum to calm down, not wanting to get in the middle of this in public, but people had already started staring.

“I’m sorry okay Mum, I promise we’ll sort it. Can he please just stay with you for a few more days?” Aaron was begging now, and his mother could tell that there was seriously something wrong.

She knew not to push it, knowing they weren’t going to sort this over a pint at The Wooly. She just grabbed some of the empty glasses with a roll of her eyes as she started heading back into the pub.

Aaron looked at Conner, who was looking back at him, concern etched across his face. They knew they had to sort this out with Seb sooner rather than later. But that was proving to be impossible when Seb refused to even speak to them if Conner was in the vicinity.

Adam was looking at the two of them across the table, noticing the tension.

“You alright lads?” he asked them but they both just shook their heads, signifying to Adam that they didn’t want to get into it.

“You know, I was thinking, why don’t we get a team together later, go and have a game of footy up at Butlers?” he asked the two fiances, and they were both happy to move on to a lighter subject.

Aaron nodded his head, “Yeah that sounds great,” he said and Adam leaned forward to clap him on the shoulder.

“Yes lad!” he bellowed and Aaron smirked,

Adam looked behind them then, as a car pulled up into the driveway of the woolpack.

“Looks like Liv is back from Hotten,” he told the other’s as he gestured to the vehicle. They both turned to face where Adam was looking.

“Who’s that in the car with her?” Conner asked dubiously.

“Guess we’ll see,” Adam said a moment later.

Aaron was confused. Liv hadn’t said anything to him earlier about coming back to the village with anyone.

He watched closely as he saw his sister get out of the driver's side, and their eyes connected at once. She was looking at him uncertainly, her face unreadable as she looked to whoever was in the car.

A moment later, Chas came out, bringing their next round of pints. She saw they were looking over at Liv, and her interest was piqued.

“Who’s that with Liv?” she questioned.

Her question was answered a moment later when the two siblings stepped foot out of the car.

“Oh...my god,” Chas said, her breath hitching in her throat.

Adam’s jaw had dropped to the floor as his eyes met Vics from across the courtyard.

And Aaron, his heart was beating faster than it ever had in his life.

“Who is that?’ Conner asked, his voice desperate now, and Aaron turned to look at him.

“Vic?” Adam said softly, his eyes not leaving his wife’s.

Aaron didn’t know what to think, or where to look, or what to do. He looked at the man across the courtyard, then back at his fiance next to him.

This wasn’t happening, this couldn’t be happening.

But it was. And Robert and Victoria Sugden were officially back in Emmerdale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> I thought Liv should have a big part in getting Robert back to the village because she's such a big part of Aaron and Robert's lives and I really wanted Robert's first reconnection to be with her. There will definitely be more of their relationship in this story :)
> 
> As you can probably notice, there will be some Adam/Vic in this story - but they will be mainly in the background.
> 
> Next chapter will be very action-packed ;) Let's just say, if you like tension - there's sure to be a lot of that. 
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments and thank you so much for all your continued support! :)


	5. So far from what we were

Robert was breathing heavily as he stood tall, his hand still on the door of the car that he had just got out of. He was staring across the car park for the Woolpack, and to his dismay, Aaron was there, looking right at him.

He thought he would have had more time, he couldn’t believe that this was happening no less than 10 seconds after he had stood foot in the village. He needed time to process that he was back here, he needed to wrap his head around everything.

Liv was looking between her brother and her brother-in-law, her mind running like crazy. After she had got used to the shock of being face to face with Robert again, she had been so glad to see him.

A part of her knew she should have just left everything alone. But then another part of her just wanted to see Robert back in Emmerdale. This was his home. This was where he belonged.

And a part of her wanted to see if there was still a connection between her brother and the man he was married to.

Conner was great. He really was. And he made Aaron happy.

But he wasn’t Robert. He wasn’t the love of Aaron’s life.

So she had insisted he and Vic get into her car so she could drive them back to the village.

It had been a long drive, quiet too, as they had both been anxiously watching the city turn into the countryside.

And when they had both seen the Emmerdale sign come into view, their hearts had been beating a mile a minute.

Robert was now looking at his sister, who was focusing on the man sitting behind Aaron. She herself had a look of shock etched across her face.

It was Adam Barton. He was back in the village.

It just managed to bring home just how long he had been away, how much he had missed.

Robert looked back at Aaron, who’s eyes were looking flustered as he turned his attention between Robert and the other man who he was sitting next to.

His fiance, Robert thought to himself.

It had to be. Chas was behind her son, a look of surprise evident on her face.

She looked down at Aaron, then back at Robert.

Now everything was starting to make sense. The reason why Aaron was making Seb stay with her?

Aaron had known about this. “Robert?” she said, her voice filled with trepidation. Aaron screwed his face up, obviously feeling uncomfortable.

Conner looked at Chas, hearing the name he had been dreading to hear as soon as the man had stood out of the vehicle.

“It’s not…It can’t be,” His voice was desperate now as he looked at his fiance. Aaron just looked back at him, a sheepish look on his face.

“Please tell me it isn’t,” Conner begged, but Aaron just screwed his eyes together as he nodded his head softly.

It was like he was seeing red then, as anger suddenly flashed across Conner’s face. Aaron looked at him with a sorry expression on his face as he took glances between Conner and Robert.

Robert still hadn’t moved, his eyes locking with Aaron's with a look that seemed to say, You need to make the first move here.

Aaron didn’t know what to do though. It was like they were at a stalemate, and Aaron knew if he made one wrong move, something bad was going to happen.

But before he could even make up his mind, Conner was standing up from his seat at the wooden table, looking directly at Robert with a dark look in his eye.

“Conner, don’t..” Aaron was the one begging now as he watched his fiance stand tall, looking between Aaron and Robert from across the courtyard,

It only took a second before Conner was walking over to Robert, a fast pace to his stride as he moved towards his fiance’s husband.

Robert didn’t know what to think as he watched the unfamiliar face walk towards him, with a discerning look of intent. He watched as Aaron rushed to stand up, both him and Adam making quick moves to follow Conner.

“You can’t be here!” the man yelled and Robert screwed his face up. Who did this guy think he was? To think he could ban Robert from being in his home village?

“Conner! Stop!” Aaron yelled at the man,

Well, his name was Conner, Robert thought to himself. Now he at least had a name and a face to put against the man sleeping with his husband.

“Who the hell are you?” Vic yelled at the man,

“Vic stop, it’s fine,” he told his sister as he finally moved away from the car. Liv just looked between all the people in front of her, instantly berating herself for interfering. She refused to look Aaron in the eye now as her brother came to stand beside his fiance, puffing as he tried to hold Conner back from going any further towards Robert.

Conner was just glaring at Robert now.

“Vic?” Adam interjected, and the woman looked at him, wide-eyed as she came face to face with the man she hadn’t seen in more than 10 years.

“Adam, how are you here right now?” she begged, her mind suddenly spiraling as she tried to think of what would have brought her husband back to the village.

“Long story,” he stated softly, obviously noticing the tension between everybody.

“I said you can’t be here,” Conner said firmly as he continued to look at Robert. Robert just scoffed,

“One can only guess you could be the fiance,” he stated coldly, looking at Aaron who just refused to meet his eyes. Robert shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t even look at him.

“Conner is it?” Robert asked, turning to face the other man who just continued to breathe deeply, his face stern as anger coursed through his veins.

“Maybe we should cool it guys,” Chas interjected, obviously having made her way over. She was walking with trepidation now, hoping to god that nothing would kick-off.

“If he leaves, then I will cool it,” Conner said through clenched teeth.

Robert couldn’t help but laugh.

“You have a temper on you, don’t you?” he said comically. Conner still didn’t say anything.

“Am I that much of a threat to you?” Robert asked, moving closer now to both Aaron and Conner. They both stood their ground. Aaron just screwed his eyes shut as he still refused to look at Robert. He didn’t know how he was feeling right now. He just looked at his sister, who was staring down at her feet. What had she been thinking? Why would she do this to him?

“I’ve barely even stepped foot in the village and you’re already looking to pummel me?”

“Robert, just be quiet!” Aaron snarled, and Robert just looked at him, a smirk making its way onto his features.

“And he speaks!” Robert declared loudly, a humorous edge to his voice.

“Is this funny to you?” Aaron snapped as he pushed himself forward in front of Conner.

Robert’s face fell then, the humor he had seen in the situation now dissipating completely.

“What, you thought we’d be happy to see you?” Aaron snapped, and Robert looked behind him at Conner who now had a smirk on his face. He swallowed deeply as the pain from Aaron’s words started to settle in.

“Aaron, love!” Chas tried to interject but Aaron just continued talking.

“I don’t want you here!” Aaron yelled and Robert screwed his eyes shut. He looked at his husband then and started to bite his lip.

“Is that how you really feel?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aaron hesitated, his mind willing to say yes, his heart trying to rein in his emotions.

“Y...Yes” he said, but Robert noticed the hesitation. A part of him knew then that Aaron didn’t mean a word he was saying.

He knew his husband better than anyone. There was a part of him that still loved Robert. There was always going to be a part of him that loved him.

And that thought ignited a fire in the pit of Robert’s stomach. He had a chance, and no way was he going to make it this far to give up now. Conner stepped forward and moved in close to Robert.

“I suggest you get back in that car and leave. Now!” he threatened. Robert smirked as he looked down at the man.

“You think you scare me?” Robert asked humorously. “You forget mate, I’ve just spent the last 10 years in a prison with blokes a lot tougher than you,” he was warning him now.

“Now get out of my face,” he warned the man.

“Not until you leave,” Conner stated, his tone dark.

“Conner, just leave it,” Aaron begged quickly, but the two men just continued to stare each other down.

“What are you going to do? Robert?” Conner asked, enunciating every syllable of Robert’s name. Robert just sighed deeply and looked at the other man, an almost bored look on his face.

“You gonna hit me?” Conner threatened and Robert just started to turn away, grabbing his bag from Livs’ car.

“You ain’t worth it,” Robert stated, and all he could hear was the sound of Conner smirking.

“Obviously ain’t the hard man you once were, from what I’ve heard anyway.”

Robert just looked at Liv, a small smile on his face as he nodded his head in thanks. She just looked back, a sad smile of her own making it’s way onto her face.

He looked at Chas then and gave her a small smile, completely ignoring the glare that Conner was continuing to point in his direction.

“Good to see you, Chas,” he said and she sighed deeply, screwing her eyes shut as she didn’t know how to respond.

“You too Robert” she admitted after a moment and Conner just turned to face her quickly. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with a confused look on his face.

“Look, Conner, we can’t make him leave. This is his home,” Chas said with a pointed look, willing him to drop the hard man act.

“Conner, come on,” Aaron said, grabbing the man by his arm as they started to turn away.

Conner quickly turned back to face Robert, glaring at him one last time.

“If you even think about interfering in what Aaron and I have got, you will regret it,” the man threatened. Robert sighed deeply again, another bored look on his face.

“I won’t need to mate,” he said pointedly. Aaron screwed his eyes shut at Robert’s words, understanding the connotations behind them. He just continued to try pulling Conner away from the conversation. Eventually, Conner relented and turned away from Robert, still visibly frustrated about the whole ordeal.

Robert just looked on as he watched them head back towards the pub, everybody else following them. Liv sighed and turned to Robert.

“Rob, I’m so sorry. If I had known he was going to react like that, I would have dropped you straight at the B&B,” she said quickly.

He smiled at her and threw his bag over his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he told his sister in law. Vic was standing next to him and she placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

“It’ll settle down okay, once he gets used to seeing you around the village again.” She tried to console him. Robert nodded, letting out a deep breath which he had been holding onto for ages. 

“Conner’s alright,” Liv admitted a moment later. “Aaron does really care about him,”

Robert looked at her and smiled sadly, as she obviously felt conflicted about this whole situation. 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Robert admitted.

“Look, why don’t we drop off your bags at the B&B and go and get a pint?” Liv suggested. Robert gulped as he took a look at The Woolpack in front of him.

He knew he would have to face going in there sooner rather than later, so he might as well get it over and done with.

He knew Aaron wouldn’t be pleased with him just showing up there, but he had to keep telling himself that this was his home.

And he knew deep down, that Aaron did want him here.

He nodded at Liv’s suggestion, looking down at Vic who was smiling up at him.

They were home. 

***

They had done what they said they would and dropped their bags off at the B&B. Eric had been surprised to see both of them, his face completely stunned as they had entered through the front door.

But, just like Liv had done, once he had got used to the shock, he seemed almost happy to see them.

“Do you know how long you’ll be staying?” he had asked them, and the siblings just looked at each other, not really knowing the answer.

“As long as we need to really,” Robert said. “Maybe a few weeks,” He figured that would be enough time to settle back into the village life.

But they both knew that they would want to stay longer. They were already feeling the connection to the village that both of them had severed all those years ago.

They’d settled in nicely to their rooms, both of them taking a moment to breathe after the whole situation that had occurred outside the pub.

They both knew that maybe going back there wouldn’t be the best idea, but it was what they came here for. They weren’t going to cower and hideaway.

They’d met up with Liv about 20 minutes later, her waiting for them outside the B&B.

“You guys settled then?” she asked the siblings. They both just smiled and nodded at her.

“Look, Liv. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. But if this is going to cause problems for you and Aaron…” Robert started, but Liv cut him off.

“I want you here Robert!” she snapped, and he sighed and took a deep breath.

“And I know, deep down, that Aaron does too.” He just smiled sadly at her, hoping to god that that was the truth. Suddenly a thought popped into his mind, and he wanted to ask Liv before he forgot.

“Umm, Liv. Do you know if Seb will be happy to see me?” he asked cautiously. Liv just looked at him sadly.

“He knows you're out if that’s what you’re really asking,” she told him and Robert couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat. Seb knew he was no longer in prison?

“How?” Robert asked and Liv shrugged,

“He heard Aaron and Conner talking about it. He’s been quite angry ever since. He’s been refusing to live with the pair of them.” she told him the truth, knowing he would find out sooner or later.

“Where’s he been staying then? With Rebecca?” Robert asked but then Liv furrowed her brow.

“You don’t know then?” Liv asked, and she hated that she was the one telling him this.

“What?” he asked her, 

“Rebecca moved to France 5 years ago. They gave Seb the option of who he wanted to live with and he chose Aaron,” she explained.

Robert looked shocked. How had he not known about this?

“Aaron tried to tell you,” she said, tears appearing suddenly in her eyes. And Robert suddenly thought back to the visit request he’d received from Aaron exactly 5 years ago.

“You chose not to see him,” she said, the tear now pouring down her face. Robert screwed his eyes shut, as he then looked down to his feet in shame. How could he have been so selfish? He looked back at Liv, who was now refusing to look at him. He walked over to her then and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I know I let you both down,” he explained. She just wiped away a tear as she still refused to face him.

“Liv, you have no idea how much I regret it. I did what I thought was best at the time.”

Vic was watching from the side as Robert tried to apologise to his sister-in-law. A sad look was on her face, as she could see the pain and anguish on Liv’s face.

“I forgive you,” Liv said a moment later. A part of Robert felt a weight lift off his shoulders suddenly.

“You know, I was so hurt. But a part of me has always understood why you did it,” she explained, as she finally looked him in the eye.

“You do?” Robert asked her softly and she nodded.

“You didn’t want us to see you in there, in pain, being tortured day after day. I get it,” she admitted. Robert nodded, a sad look etched across his face.

“And Aaron?” Robert asked, and Liv looked at him apologetically.

“He’s never really gotten over it,” she admitted but a part of Robert already knew.

“He loved you more than anything!” Liv explained, her voice cracking as she had to relive the pain that she had seen her brother go through for all those years.

“And I brought you back to the village because I know that a part of him still does,” Robert sighed deeply. “It’s ingrained into his soul,” Liv admitted.

“I want to make it up to him Liv,” Robert finally spoke, and Liv looked up at him and smiled sadly.

“I want to make it up to all three of you,”

“And you will,” she reassured. “It just might take a bit of time,” Robert nodded softly.

“I know,” he said. Liv sighed deeply and looked up at her brother-in-law, so happy that he was actually standing in front of her.

It was another moment before either of them spoke again, as they both relished in the moment, the pair of them finally reunited.

“Who’s ready for that pint then?” Vic interjected, not wanting to ruin the moment but knowing they should probably get a move on sooner or later.

They all smiled as they ventured towards the pub. Robert could feel the nerves in his body pulsing as they got closer and closer. It didn’t take them long before they were standing right outside the front door. Robert’s heart was beating a mile a minute, he didn’t know what was about to happen, but he was dreading another face-off with Conner.

He tried to gather his composure as Vic slowly pushed on the door.

As they entered, the crowded sound of the pub suddenly dissipated as everybody turned to face them. Robert looked around at all the stares he was getting from the villagers, his old neighbors, who all looked shocked to see him standing by the bar as if 10 years hadn’t passed.

He looked over to the corner to see Aaron, Conner, and Adam all in a booth, looking directly at the three of them. Conner was back to glaring at him now, but Aaron turned away, refusing to meet Robert’s eyes again.

He turned to Chas, who was behind the bar, an expectant look on her face.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble, Robert,” she stated and all he could do was sigh deeply, as he just took a seat at the bar.

“I just want a pint, please Chas,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. She nodded in acceptance as she grabbed a glass from the other side of the bar, then proceeded to fill it up with beer.

She placed it on the beer mat on the bar in front of him and he smiled at her in appreciation.

“For what it’s worth,” Chas started, and Robert looked up from his pint to look into her eyes, “I’m glad you’re out,” she told him.

Robert nodded and smiled kindly. He then watched as she moved away from the bar and headed over to where Aaron was staring at him, an unreadable look on his face.

Robert stared back and raised his glass to the other man, a peace offering if anything. He could see Aaron take a deep breath as he just looked back at the pint in front of him.

“See, this isn’t too bad,” Vic said with a chirp in her voice. Robert looked at her and smiled, refusing to tell her how anxious he was feeling right now.

It was then that Vanessa and Charity paraded up to sit by them at the bar.

“Well, well, well,” Charity chirped, “If it isn’t Mr. Sugden himself,”

“Hello Charity,” Robert said with a laugh, smiling at the other woman. She looked at him with a knowing look.

“So you’re finally free?” she asked him, and Vanessa just smiled in delight.

“Looks like it,” he stated kindly.

They carried on with their conversation, which only seemed to piss Conner off even more as he stared at them from across the pub.

“Why does your whole family have to be so friendly to him?” he asked, annoyed. Aaron looked at him and sighed.

“They were his family once too, you know?” Adam offered up, but Aaron instantly smacked him on the arm, a way of telling him not to push it.

“I just don’t get why they would be so welcoming to a convicted criminal,” Conner said, not quietly either because Vic heard him from the other side of the room. A part of Aaron also perked up, almost like some kind of protective instinct sunk in, and he was about to say something, but then...

“What did you just say?” Vic demanded as she moved across the pub so she was standing right in front of their booth.

“I just said, why does everyone want to be hanging around a convicted criminal?”

“Conner, just drop it,” Aaron scolded. The other man just snapped his head to look at his fiance.

“It’s the truth, he is though isn’t he?”

“You don’t know what happened so just keep your mouth shut!” Aaron snapped, and everybody suddenly turned to look at him. Robert felt his heart skip a beat as he realised Aaron was defending him. Conner looked at his fiance then, a sad look in his eyes.

“Wow,” he said, his voice quiet, “He’s not even back in the village a day and you’re already on his side.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, “Look, I’m sorry. Just let’s drop it please?” he begged, knowing he should have just stayed quiet.

“I suggest you keep your nose out of things that don’t concern you!” Vic snapped, her voice shaking as she looked down at Aaron’s fiance.

“Vic,” Adam started, moving to get up from his side of the booth. He wanted to console her as he could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“Don’t!” Vic snapped at him, as her eyes suddenly locked with his, a sad look on her face.

Everybody was now staring at Vic with a sorrow look on their faces. They all knew exactly what had happened all those years ago, exactly what had led to Robert going to prison. She looked around, suddenly finding it all too much to bear. She then quickly ran out of the pub.

Robert started to stand up, wanting to chase after her, but then Adam stood up first.

“I’ll go,” he told the other man, and Robert just nodded, knowing that Adam would look after her.

Now everybody was looking at Conner, and he could feel the tension in the room as if it was swallowing him up.

“I think we should just go,” Aaron told his fiance, making moves to stand up from his seat. He looked at Robert with a sad look on his face, and Robert just glared at his fiance.

“Why should we leave? He’s been back 5 minutes and he’s already taken over the pub?” Conner demanded. He quickly snapped his head to look at Robert, getting up from his seat quickly. Aaron jumped up a moment later.

“You think this is some kind of victory, don’t you?” Conner snapped as he looked right at his fiance's husband.

Robert just shook his head, anger coursing through him. He hadn’t hated somebody this much in ages. He got up from his seat, meeting Conner across the room.

“You talk about me, or my sister, ever again, and you will regret it.” Robert threatened coldly.

“You come near me or my family, and you will regret it,” Conner threatened back.

“Conner! Robert!” Chas demanded, “Take it outside now!” she scolded.

“Robert?” a small voice said from behind Chas. The whole pub went quiet as Chas stepped aside to reveal Seb standing at the back of the bar.

Robert’s heart suddenly started beating faster than it ever had before.

Seb! 

His Seb! 

He was standing right in front of him!

He was so big! He looked just like him. 

Robert could barely believe his eyes.

Aaron was now looking between his son and his husband, a desperate look on his face, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Seb was just staring at the blonde man in front of him, his face unreadable.

“Are you my Dad?” he asked, and Robert couldn’t breathe as he nodded his head slowly.

“Dad?” Seb cried as tears started to well up in his eyes.

“Yeah, buddy. I’m your dad,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I had so much fun writing this chapter, and the tension between Aaron and Robert and Conner is inteeeeense.
> 
> I hope it lived up to all of your expectations. As you can probably guess, the next chapter will show the reunion between Robert and Seb. I hope you're all looking forward to it.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> I just want to say I am amazed by how much attention this story is getting and it means so much that you guys are enjoying it. I appreciate your continued support more than you know! :)


	6. I'll always look our for you, kid

The whole pub was silent, as everybody was waiting with bated breath to see what was going to happen next. Seb was looking up at his father with tears in his eyes and Robert was staring back, not knowing if it was okay for him to approach his son.

Aaron was just standing there, looking between Seb and Robert, not knowing himself what was about to occur. Conner was still glaring at Robert, but now Aaron's fiance was the furthest thing from his mind.

“You did come back,” Seb said quietly, a smile slowly starting to appear on the young boy’s face. Robert’s heart swelled with love for the boy then and there.

“Of course I did,” Robert said, only just managing to speak above a whisper.

Chas was looking between the two of them, and then at Conner. Conner was obviously finding this whole situation very difficult. Chas knew though that Rob needed to talk to his son.

“Rob, why don’t you and Seb come through to the back,” she suggested. She figured it would be best for them to not have the whole village looking on at their reunion.

Conner, however, snapped his gaze towards Chas, a frustrated look making its way onto his face.

Chas just raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged.

“He’s his son, Conner. Deal with it,” Conner continued to stare at Aaron's mother as he walked back over to where his fiance was standing.

Robert then moved forward, making his way over to Seb.

Seb smiled up at him as he led him into the back room of the pub. Aaron watched them go, not knowing how to think or feel at that moment. He and Conner just resumed their seats at the booth they had been sitting in earlier.

Aaron felt conflicted. It had been such a long time, where it had only been him and Seb. For a big chunk of that, he had only dreamed of a time when Robert would come home and they could be a family again.

But now everything had changed. He had a new life, and Seb was very much his son now. He had to remind himself, that Seb was also Robert’s. He should’ve been feeling happy that his son finally had his Dad back. In fact, he had encouraged the other man to be in his son's life, to begin with.

So why did it feel like everything was changing again? It felt to Aaron like everything was on the cusp of reverting back to how it once was. And Aaron was conflicted because he didn’t know if he wanted that to happen or not.

He looked across the table to his fiance.

He willed himself to believe that he didn’t want it to happen.

But you can’t control how you feel.

***   
Robert was sitting on the couch in the backroom of the pub. Seb was sitting across from him, a small smile on his face as he looked at his father. It was a weird feeling, finally sitting across from the man he’d wanted to meet for so long.

Neither of them really knew what to say.

“You’ve grown up so much,” Robert told the boy after a moment. Seb nodded, then took a sip from the glass of water in front of him.

“I’m 12 now,” Seb told his father proudly. Robert smiled fondly at him, nodding his head as he tried to will himself to believe that he was actually there.

He’d dreamed about this moment for so long. He’d always wondered what Seb had grown up to look like, whether he’d looked more like him or Rebecca. But Seb was all him. He was a spitting image.

“I know,” Robert told his son softly. He sighed deeply, then reaching into his pockets.

“I’ve been carrying this around with me, in case I ran into you,” the man said, and Seb’s interest was piqued. He looked to his father with raised eyebrows, his eyes wide as he waited with anticipation to see what Robert was about to give him.

“Is it a birthday present?” Seb asked and Robert nodded, his smile still growing as he let out a small chuckle.

“I wasn’t sure what you would like, but I wanted to give you something. It’s not much” he said, unsure of himself. He then pulled out what looked like a small framed picture. He handed it over to his son, and Seb took it excitedly.

It was a picture of him, as a baby, with Robert holding him in his arms. He was looking down at baby Seb with so much adoration and so much love. Robert had loved Seb from the moment he was born. And that love hadn’t dissipated, even after all these years.

Seb’s face was unreadable as he looked down at the photo. Robert stared at him, trying to get an idea of what his son was thinking at that moment. Seb gulped, then looked between the photo and his father.

“I’ve never seen this photo before,” he said softly, his voice cracking slightly. Robert took a deep breath and nodded, biting his lip slightly.

“Yeah, I've been carrying it with me for the past 10 years,” Robert admitted. He could see, what looked like a tear appearing in his son’s eye, as he continued to look down at the picture.

“I’ve not really seen many photos from when you were around,” Seb told his father, looking up at him now, and Robert looked at him, an eyebrow raised. “Dad,” he started, then looked like he was catching himself, “Aaron, he hid away all the photo albums,”

Robert caught onto what Seb was saying,

“Aaron is your Dad Seb, he always has been. And just because I’m back, that doesn’t mean that will change.” Robert explained, then watched as Seb gulped.

“I, I know that.” Seb admitted, “I… What should I call you then?” he asked, obviously unsure of himself.

“You can call me whatever you like. Rob, if you want. I know it’s been too long for you to just jump straight back into calling me Dad,” Seb looked at him and nodded, then stared down at the picture again. There was a pause, and then a confused look made its way onto his son’s face. He could see more tears welling up in the young boy's eyes. This was obviously such a confusing time for him. Robert just wished he knew what he was thinking. He wished he could help him in some way.

Seb looked up again, turning to stare into Robert’s eyes.

“Why did you never want to see me?” the young boy asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Robert screwed his eyes shut. He had been dreading this question, but he knew he should have expected it. He looked down to where his own hands were clasped together on his lap. He didn’t speak for a moment, trying to come up with a way to explain to Seb the pain he had been feeling all those years. He sighed deeply, then looked up at his son.

“I’m so sorry Seb. I always wanted to see you, I want you to know that” he paused and watched as a tear fell down the boys face. “It just wasn’t a nice place. I didn’t want you to see me in there, like that. I was a prisoner, a criminal, and the men there...they were bad people. I didn’t want you exposed to that environment.” Seb sniffed, wiping away a tear as he took in his father's words.

He didn’t say anything for a moment.

“So you still want me?” he asked, his voice still quiet. Robert’s heart broke at his son's words. He’d never wanted him to feel like he had abandoned him. But he had to face up to the fact that he had been missing from the boy's life for such a long time. Of course he would feel unwanted, Robert thought to himself. It just reminded him of how he had grown up wondering the same thing about his own father.

“Of course I still want you. You’re the best thing in my life Seb.” He moved in closer to his son, cautiously placing an arm on his shoulder, not knowing how he would react. “I know I haven’t been around for such a long time, but I want to be in your life.” Seb just looked into his father’s eyes, biting his lip as more tears welled up in his eyes.

“Really?”

“Of course, I want us to have a normal father-son relationship,” Robert said. Seb smiled at him than through his tears.

“So we can go and play footy?” he asked. Robert smiled back at him and nodded, patting him on the shoulder.

“Sure buddy,” 

“And you’ll come with me to my games on Saturdays?” Seb asked, getting excited now. Robert just grinned and nodded his head.

“I wouldn’t miss them for the world,”

“And you’ll help me with my homework. Dad’s not very good at that,” Seb admitted and Robert had to help himself from laughing at that one.

“Yeah, I remember,” Robert smirked

“Hey, I heard that!” they both heard a voice coming from behind them as they saw Aaron coming in from the pub. Robert’s face fell, but he noticed the smile on his husband's face.

He wasn’t smiling at Robert though, he realised. His eyes were focused only on Seb. Seb looked over at his other Dad too, his grin still firmly on his face.

“Hey, we’re just saying the truth!” Seb said with a laugh. Aaron shook his head as he moved over and fluffed Seb’s hair. He then stopped behind his son, looking over at Robert now. His face was unreadable, as he refused to meet Robert’s eye.

“Hey bud, I know you’re catching up with Rob, but it’s getting a little late,” Aaron said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. Robert could see Seb’s face fall then as he looked between the two men. Robert himself felt slightly disappointed, but he didn’t want to argue with Aaron.

“But Dad, I…”

“Hey, bud... we’ll get heaps of time to catch up, okay? It’s going to take a lot to get rid of me this time,” Robert told the young boy with a reassuring smile. Seb looked at him and sighed deeply. He then relented, nodding his head. He turned to face Aaron,

“Okay fine,” he said, his bottom lip sticking out more than Robert thought was possible.

“You want to come home tonight?” Aaron asked him,

“God no, not with that man around,” Seb said and Robert couldn’t help but smirk, unable to contain himself. But he quickly straightened out his face as soon as he saw the deadpan look on Aaron’s.

“Sorry,” he said, and Seb just looked at him and giggled. Aaron could already see the bond that was forming between the two of them. He didn’t really know how he felt about it, but he knew he probably shouldn’t put a stop to it. They were father and son after all.

“Alright, well go on and head upstairs then. I’ll come up in a bit,”

Seb stood up in a huff, making his way towards the stairs of the pub. It only took a moment before it was just Aaron and Robert on their own.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, the tension between them more than either of them could handle.

It was Robert who broke the silence, a deep sigh lingering in the air before he decided to speak.

“Seb’s incredible,” he said, and Aaron just sighed deeply, nodding his head as he sat down at the dining table. He didn’t look at Robert, just looked at the empty space between them.

“Yeah, he is,” the other man agreed.

There was another pause, and Robert knew what he wanted to say next, but he knew it wouldn’t bode over well. He had to say it anyway.

“So, Conner!” he stated, and Aaron just rolled his eyes. “He seems like a great bloke,” he hoped to god that Aaron could sense the sarcasm in his voice.

“Oh just shut up Robert,” 

“What? I’m just stating my opinion!” he said, a hint of humour behind his words, “Seb seems to be really fond of him,”

Aaron just shook his head, his frustration being let out through the loud sigh he then released.

“I don’t care about your opinion,” the other man snapped, harshly. Robert just sighed, letting it wash over him. He was getting used to this confrontational side of Aaron, and it had only been a few hours.

“I don’t know what you expected to happen when you just showed up here,” Aaron said, his frown furrowing as he finally looked Robert in the eyes. “Everything’s not just going to go back to how it was,”

Robert sat back into the couch, crossing his arms as he looked at his husband.

“I didn’t think it was going to be easy if that’s what you’re thinking,” Robert admitted and Aaron just shook his head.

“There’s no easy, or hard or anything. It’s never going to happen,” Robert knew then that the other man was talking about their relationship. Robert nodded and just looked down at the other man’s feet. They were pointing directly at him.

“Look, I get you were hurt about what happened all those years ago. Liv told me…”

“And yeah that’s the other thing!” Aaron interrupted, “Where do you get off on swanning back into the village with my kid sister! How do you think that would have made Conner feel?”

Robert screwed up his forehead, “To be quite frank, I don’t really give a damn. From what I’ve seen so far, that guys a twat!”

Aaron clenched his teeth and screwed up his forehead. He didn’t want to get into anything too heated right now.

“Yeah, well... He’s not” Aaron stated and Robert just nodded, not believing the other man for one second.

“I mean when I told you to move on, you could have done a lot better than him!” he stated,

“As I said, I don’t really care about your opinion anymore.” Robert just nodded, looking at the other man, willing him to understand just how much he had missed him. But right now Robert didn’t want to let his guard down. He didn’t want Aaron to see that he was really hurting underneath the hard man act. He hated seeing him in love with another man.

“Look, I heard what you said in prison, okay? I’m just here to see Seb,” Robert told the other man, and Aaron’s face suddenly became unreadable, and he refused to look at Robert as he continued to clench his jaw.

It took a minute before Aaron turned back at him nodding but choosing to only look at Robert’s feet.

“Fine, I won’t stop you,” Aaron told him, and Robert smiled at him, his face softening for a moment.

“For his sake, not yours,” the other man reiterated and Robert nodded, understanding completely.

“No, no I get it.” 

“I’m not going to stop him getting to know you,” Aaron said, taking a deep breath.

There was another moment of silence, the tension still filling the air between them. Robert couldn’t deny that Aaron looked amazing.

10 years had really worked well for his husband. He looked hotter than Robert remembered. He tried to brush away the feeling as he stared at the other man, who still refused to meet eyes with him. Those beautiful blue eyes, which Robert knew would drown him if he got the chance to stare into them again.

He missed the man in front of him more than he was willing to admit. He couldn’t imagine a life in the free world without him.

But it looked like he was going to have to get used to it because he got the feeling that Aaron didn’t feel the same.

He was getting married, He had to come to terms with it.

If only he knew the reason that Aaron refused to meet his eyes.

Because, to Aaron, Robert looked just as amazing. He had been trying to ignore it as much as he possibly could, and he tried to tell himself that he had a fiance waiting for him at home.

But he couldn’t shake the feeling, that some part of him, a deep part of his soul, the part that was hopelessly in love with the man sitting in front of him, was starting to resurface.

He knew that if he didn’t catch his breath, or control his mind, they would both be capsizing into the ocean tide, and Aaron knew that that would be it.

Robert would have his heart in his clutches all over again, and he would just smash it to pieces, all over again.

Just like he always did. 

"I need to go and say goodnight to Seb," he said, wanting to break the tension that was only growing warmer between them. He got up quickly, storming out of the room and up the stairs.

Robert just watched him go, confused by Aaron's sudden decision to leave the room. He figured then that he should probably get up and leave the pub. 

His mind then thought back to his sister suddenly. He needed to know that she was alright. 

He then left the room, leaving the pub and his family behind him.

He wanted them; he wanted his life back.

It was going to be a long game.

It was going to be a fight.

But deep down, Robert knew he was up for the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait on this guys. I've had a hectic week at work so didn't get much of a chance to write. But here's the chapter at last! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Next chapter will include some more Aaron/Rob interaction, and some Vic/Adam.


	7. We are all a little broken inside

Vic was staring at Adam across the wooden table, still not believing that he was actually there in the flesh. Earlier, he’d followed her, when she’d left the pub barely even able to breathe. And now they’d been sitting here for who knows how long, both of them transfixed by the bond that had never been severed between them.

Adam had asked her if she was okay, not getting too close to her in case she needed her space. But Vic had looked at him for barely even a second before the tears had fallen down her face and she had launched herself into his arms.

He had hugged her so tightly, never wanting to let her go ever again. Vic didn’t know why she’d so willingly leaped into his arms. So much time had passed, and they now led such different lives. But it was like they could feel the tether between them, pulling them back together again.

Vic had continued to cry in his arms expressing the pain that ran through her, to the point that she could barely even get a word out.

All those years of pain and anguish, all that heartbreak, summed up in one devastating moment. She told the man she had loved more than anything, about the fateful day that horrible, vile man had assaulted her, how she had been made to feel like a broken doll, how her world had been ripped out from under her.

She told him about how her brother had been taken away from her for only protecting her, how he had beaten the man that had hurt her into an inch of his life. 

She cried about how she had to live without her big brother looking out for her, how she had to force herself to let him go when he refused to let anybody in.

She told him about the son she’d had to that monster. How she had loved him despite his father, had wanted to bring him up in this world, making him see the beauty that it could hold. She’d been given a miracle and she had thought her life had finally started to look up.

She told him then about how her son had been diagnosed with Leukemia, how her heart had broken all over again and she hadn’t known if it was humanly possible for her to live her life now.

She told him how she fled the village, how she had to find an escape, a new home, a new place where she could just be.

But her whole world had been empty.

But then Robert had been set free. And now there was a glimmer of hope, not just for him, but for her as well to finally get a semblance of their old life back. 

Their old life when they were both happy, where they both had dreams, aspirations, and things to look forward to.

Now they were sitting across from each other, neither of them knowing what to say.

“I still can’t believe you’re really here,” Vic whispered after a moment, her face still visibly wet from the tears that had been flowing freely down her face, and Adam just looked at her with a warm smile.

“I am here, and I’m not going anywhere,” he reassured her.

“But how?” Vic asked. She had been wondering this for a while now, as soon as she had first met his gaze from across the courtyard. Adam didn’t say anything, just gulped, a tear now appearing in the corner of his eye.

“Mum, she passed away a few years ago,” Adam admitted, and Vic looked at him, shocked and sad all at once.

“Moira?” she said softly, tears now starting to travel down her cheeks once more. “No, that’s not possible,” she tried to deny it, not wanting to believe it. Adam sniffed and nodded his head, wiping his face.

“She was diagnosed with Kidney failure,” he conceded, and Vic shook her head, not wanting to hear anymore. But she knew she needed to support Adam, as this was obviously hard for him to talk about.

“She wanted me home” Adam cried, gasping for a breath, then clenching his teeth as he tried to carry on telling Victoria everything that had happened all those years ago.

“She confessed, about killing Emma, to the police. And then Aaron spent two months trying to track me down.” Vic listened intently, moving her hand to cover Adam’s, and he looked at her with a look of appreciation.

“I was distraught, and I was angry., “ he paused, his brow furrowing as he remembered the horrible time it had been,

“They made her spend her dying days locked in a hospital room with guards standing watch like she was some threat to humanity!” he clenched his jaw, looking away for a moment. Vic ran her thumb over the back of Adam’s hand. She then stood up quickly and rushed to sit on the other side of the wooden table, pulling the man into a hug as fast as she could.

He sobbed for a moment, his head lying on her shoulder. She rubbed his back, only wishing she could help in some way, that she could have been there for him when all of this was happening.

But she hadn’t been, and she felt so guilty all of a sudden.

“I’m so sorry Adam, I should have been here,” she cried and he just moved away for a second. He shook his head.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” he told her, grabbing her face in his hands. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

“I just wish I could have helped you,”

“I mean, I was shocked to find out you’d moved away. But then Aaron told me what happened, and I understood,” he said, she just continued to look at him wide-eyed.

“You needed to make a fresh start. I wasn’t going to stop you from getting what you needed,” another tear fell down the man’s face.

“You have no idea how much I’ve changed, I’m not the same person I used to be,” Vic told him, looking away now. Adam let go of her face and nodded his head, understanding completely.

“Neither am I,” he said with a shrug.

Vic turned back to face him, her eyes wanting to see into the mind of this amazing man beside her. He’d been through just as much pain as she had for all these years.

But that connection; It was still there, and she didn’t want to ignore it.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you in my life, how much I’ve dreamed about a time when we were together, happy,” Vic said, and Adam just looked at her and smiled softly.

“Me too,” he said, and she smiled back at him.

“Do you think there’s a chance we can get to know each other again?” she asked him, and Adam sat up, looking at her as if she was his whole world.

“I’d like that more than anything,”

*** 

Robert was sitting against the headboard of his bed, staring at his phone, his eyes not leaving the last text he had sent to his sister, only to have it continue to have no reply. He was getting worried now, he needed to know that she was alright after she had stormed out of the pub like that, but he had to keep reminding himself that Adam was with her, and nothing bad would happen to her with him around.

It was only a moment later when there was a knock on the door to his room. He sat up quickly and watched as the door opened a moment later, with Vic entering, a sheepish look on her face.

He breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw it was his sister. She moved into the room and took a seat at the edge of his bed.

“You okay?” he asked her, and she smiled at him sadly.

“Yeah, sorry. Just being back here. It’s bringing back a lot of memories,” She sighed deeply as she then started looking around the room.

“You can tell me anything you know?” Robert asked, he just really wanted to know that she was okay. She looked at him and nodded, another smile making its way onto her face, this time it was filled with appreciation.

“I’ll be okay,” she told him. Robert knew then that she wanted to drop the conversation.

“How was the pub? After I left, sorry I kind of left you in the lurch,” Robert smirked, shaking his head as he sat forward, scratching his eyebrow as he tried to explain the events of his night.

“Well...I ran into Seb,” Robert told his sister, and she perked up instantly, a wide smile cracking at the edges of her lips.

“How is he?” she asked excitedly and Robert laughed softly.

“He’s amazing Vic, everything I could have dreamed of,”

“Did you guys get on well?”

Robert just nodded, unable to hide the smile on his face. Vic just patted him on the arm,

“Oh, that’s amazing. I’m so made up for you,”

“Aaron said he would let me get to know him,” Robert started and Vic just nodded, listening intently, “I’m going to see if he wants to go and have a game of footy tomorrow, did you wanna come?”

“I’d love to, but Adam and I are going for a coffee in Hotten tomorrow,” she said, her cheeks turning redder than a tomato. Robert raised his eyebrows and smiled widely,

“A date?” he asked and Vic just laughed and shook her head.

“No, we’re just friends. But we’re wanting to reconnect, get to know each other again,” she told her brother and he smiled, taking in her words.

“Getting to know each other again?” he asked, and she nodded, confirming herself.

“You know, maybe that’s what you need to do,” she suggested, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well, you of all people know how much time can change you. You aren’t the same person you were ten years ago,” she told him, “Aaron, Chas, Liv, they all know you as who you used to be,” she explained.

“And?” Robert asked, his tone holding a hint of defensiveness, and she smiled at him reassuringly,

“I know you’re still just as incredible as you were back then” she said, and it was Robert’s turn to blush now, “But you can’t expect people to just let you back into their lives like nothing’s happened,” Robert was looking at his sister intently now, wondering where she was going with this.

“You need to show them who you are now, not try and win their trust back by playing off who you used to be,”

*** 

It was the next day, and Robert was still thinking about Vic’s words as he strolled towards the cafe. He knew she was right, but in all honesty, he had no idea who he was now.

He’d tossed and turned all night trying to think of the answer, but he kept coming up short. He only had one answer, and it was hardly satisfactory.

He was just Robert Sugden. Ex Inmate.

It was like it was branded across his forehead as he walked into the cafe. The smell of coffee beans was enough to wake him as he realised that now all eyes were on him.

Again. He knew it was going to take some time before everybody got used to the idea of him being around again, but damn he hated being the center of attention.

He walked over to the counter, and Bob greeted him, the man’s hair now very grey, his face a lot more older than the last time Robert had seen him.

“Robert!” he bellowed, and Robert just smiled at him, an awkward smile that didn’t really reach his eyes.

“Bob, good to see you,” 

“What can I get you? An Americano?” he asked and Robert furrowed his brow, his smile now emerging fully on his face.

“You remember my order?” Robert asked and Bob nodded, looking completely unfazed by the idea.

“One would remember it, considering you were the only one to ever order one,” Bob said, his laugh bellowing out of him at full force. Robert just shook his head in good humour, accepting the coffee suggestion.

He turned around when he heard the bell ring as someone else entered the cafe. Robert’s breath hitched a little when he saw that it was Aaron, Conner in tow. Two seconds later, Seb ran in behind the two of them.

“Dad, I’m about to miss the bus. I need money for lunch,” the boy demanded, and Aaron looked at his son, his face deadpan.

“I gave you a tenner yesterday. You telling me you’ve spent it all?”

“I used it for my bus fare!” the boy said and Aaron just rolled his eyes.

Robert couldn’t help but smile at the exchange, the two of them so clearly father and son.

Seb then turned to face him, his face lighting up immediately.

“Rob!” Seb chirped and Robert smiled back, grabbing his coffee that Bob was handing him before he made his way over to the boy.

“How are you?” Seb asked, and Robert nodded before looking over at Aaron and Conner who were watching the two of them with unreadable expressions on their faces.

“I’m good, how are you?” he asked his son in return.

“A bit gutted if I’m honest,” Seb admitted and Robert gave him a quizzical look.

“Why’s that?”

“Well I have to go to school don’t I?” Seb stated and Robert smirked, patting the boy on the shoulder,

“Well, how about I offer you a deal?” Robert started, looking over at Conner who was staring daggers at him now,

“Yeah?” Seb asked “How about we go play footy when you get back ay?” Seb beamed at him then,

“That’s if it’s okay with you?” Robert asked quickly, turning to face Aaron. The other man just sighed deeply, then looked down at his son who was looking at him with a hopeful expression on his face.

“Please, Dad?” Seb begged and Aaron just rolled his eyes before turning to Conner for a moment. The other man was shaking his head, urging his fiance to say no, but then Aaron relented.

“Fine, but you need to stay at home tonight okay? Gran is sick to death of you,” Seb didn’t care about Aaron’s words as he smiled widely, turning to face Robert before hugging him quickly. He then turned back to his dad,

“I do really need that tenner by the way,” the cheeky 12-year-old exclaimed and Aaron just rolled his eyes, relenting again before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet.

“You do walk all over me, don’t you kid,”

“Love you Dad!” the boy shouted behind him as he took the tenner and rushed out the door to catch the bus.

“He’s some kid alright,” Robert beamed, and Aaron just sighed deeply, a knowing look on his face.

“In his gene’s, innit?” Aaron offered and Robert smirked, nodding his head. He looked at Conner then, noticing the man silently seething as he stared between the two of them.

He walked over to the man and offered a hand, a peace offering. Conner just looked at him confused.

“You right?” Conner asked, and Robert raised an eyebrow quizzically.

“Look, like I told Aaron last night, I’m not here to interfere in whatever you guys have got,” Robert started. “I don’t want any grief, I just want to get to know my son.”

Conner just glared at him a moment, before relenting and shaking Robert’s hand. Not without a roll of his eyes first though. Robert knew that was the best he was going to get, so he just nodded before he started heading towards the door to the cafe.

He turned back for a moment, looking at Aaron who had an unreadable look on his face, his teeth clenched and Robert could see he was holding his hand in a fist. He had been looking at Robert, but as soon as their eye’s connected he looked away quickly.

Robert sighed deeply before he then headed out into the cold winter air.

*** 

The scrapyard was freezing, and the wind was blowing his hair in front of his eyes as Robert finally let his gaze land on the portacabin in front of him. He didn’t really know what he was feeling but he knew he needed to move sooner rather than later otherwise he was going to catch his death.

It looked exactly the same. The same crummy motors lying haphazardly around the place munted up vehicles lying abandoned in the middle of the scrapyard, bits of metal sticking out from every nook and cranny.

It was the same run-down, shabby scrapyard that he remembered, and it filled Robert’s heart with so much joy that at the very least, this place had remained the same for all these years.

It was a semblance to his old life, the life when he was so deliriously happy and in love, and ignorant to the future he had been destined to.

He headed towards the run down porta cabin, his heart now beating a mile a minute. When he finally walked up the steps and pushed open the door, he was met with even more familiarity; the same desks, the same posters on the walls, the same filing cabinet that used to hold all of Jimmy’s dirty magazines.

It felt almost like home. But the thing the was even more familiar, was the man sitting behind one of the desks. Aaron had looked up as soon as he walked in, his pen he’d been holding in his mouth falling to his desk suddenly.

He scrambled to pick it up again, caught off guard by Robert’s appearance in his place of work. Robert had to understand why he hadn’t been here in so long. It was probably like Aaron was seeing a ghost or something.

“Hi,” Robert said shyly, looking over at Aaron who just sighed deeply.

“Wha...What are you doing here?” he asked him, and Robert just looked around again, taking in his old place of work.

“I just wanted to see it, see how it was functioning after all these years,”

“Seeing if I’d run it into the ground, you mean?” Aaron asked, and Robert just furrowed his brow.

“I had faith in you,” he said and Aaron looked caught off guard by his comment. It was only a moment though before he nodded and then looked back down at the paperwork in front of him. 

Neither of them said a word after a moment.

“I was wanting to ask you something,” Robert said, breaking the silence. Aaron looked up and furrowed his brow, waiting for the other man to speak. 

“Would...would you care if I started working for Home James again?” Aaron just looked at him and gulped, taking a look at the desk on the other side of the room, the one that had been vacated ever since Nicola’s latest temp had run out on them...again.

“You mean work here?” Aaron asked. It took a moment but Robert just nodded,

“I’ve already spoken to Nicola and Jimmy. They’re okay with it, but I just wanted to check with you first. I mean, I could work from the B&B, if it’s a problem.”

“But it would be easier to work from here?” Aaron asked, his face unreadable. Robert just wished he knew what the other man was thinking.

“I mean, the files are here. All the keys to the trucks…”

“Robert, it’s fine.” Aaron interrupted. And Robert just nodded.

“Thank you,” 

“As long as you promise to stay out of my way,”

“I promise,” Robert said, holding his hands up, as if in surrender. It went back to being silent between them. They could both hear the ticking of the clock on the wall behind them.

Robert noticed then a photo of Seb on Aaron’s desk. It was a school photo, obviously taken when Seb was still at primary school, his bright blue jumper matching his eyes as he beamed back at the camera.

Robert smiled at the image, his heart filling with so much love. Aaron noticed him looking at it, as he then picked it up and handed it to Robert, obviously so he could get a better look.

Robert took it gratefully, smiling down at the boy in the photo.

“He’s adorable,” Robert admitted and Aaron just bit his lip, nodding his head as he continued to look down at his paperwork.

“Thanks...for letting me see him this afternoon,” Robert said, and Aaron just looked up at him, nodding his head.

“You’re his Dad, aren’t ya?” Robert nodded his head, turning back to the photo.

“How old is he in this?” Robert asked, Aaron just sat back in his chair, crossing his arms as he looked like he was trying to think.

“Six... I think. It was ah...right before...right before Bex left.” Aaron said and Robert’s face fell then, as he turned to look at Aaron.

“Yeah, Liv told me she moved to France,” Robert said. Aaron sighed and then nodded his head, screwing his eyes shut. Robert didn’t want to pressure him to say anymore, knowing that Rebecca had always been a touchy subject for him. But Aaron continued anyway.

“She’d split up with Ross,” he explained and Robert looked at him intently then. “She’d tried moving back to Emmerdale..and Seb was so happy to have both of us there, you know?” Aaron looked like he was trying to recall the story as much as possible, as so much time had passed.

“What happened?” Robert asked,

“She just couldn’t hack it. There were too many bad memories for her here,” he told the other man, and Robert just nodded his head, understanding completely what the mother of his child had gone through all those years ago.

“She applied for a job in Paris, and when she got it...she tried to get Seb to go with her.” Aaron looked at Robert, the tears now starting to well up in his eyes.

“I didn’t want him to go, I needed to have him around me. He…” Aaron stopped himself, not wanting to say anymore.

Seb reminded him of me, Robert thought to himself. But Aaron didn’t say anything, he just looked back down at the paperwork on his desk.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Robert said, barely getting the words out. He knew what it was like to lose Seb, and he hated that Aaron had to go through that again, all by himself.

“I, ah, I tried to get in to see you. I wanted to tell you that he was going. But…”

“I’m so sorry,” Robert said again, his own tears now welling up in his eyes.

Aaron cleared his throat then, now refusing to look up and look Robert in the eye.

“Seb wanted to stay with me,” Aaron admitted, and Robert nodded, “And Rebecca was upset at first. But...she relented eventually.”

“Does he see her?” Robert asked, and Aaron sighed, nodding his head.

“Yeah, he goes over a few times a year. She’s married now, has a daughter as well.”

“Seb has a sister?” Robert asked, and Aaron nodded. He pulled out his phone a moment later, searching for something for a minute before turning it around to show Robert.

It was a picture of Seb, holding a little baby girl in his arms. Robert smiled, a happier tear welling up in his eye. He looked so proud of the little girl in his arms. He looked like a proper big brother.

It felt like something was pulling at his heartstrings as he remembered a time where both he and Aaron had been planning to give Seb a sibling.

It felt like a lifetime ago now.

“I’ve missed so much,” Robert whispered, still looking down at the photo Aaron was holding out to him. The other man didn’t say anything, just gulped as he sat back in his chair, popping his phone back into his pocket.

“Well, you’ve got a chance with him now, yeah?” Aaron said, and Robert smiled nodding his head.

“Thank you, Aaron. For everything you’ve done for him.” Aaron just gulped again, refusing to meet the other man’s eyes.

“I should be thanking you too,” he said a moment later. Robert looked at him, furrowing his brow.

Aaron saw the confused look on the other man’s face.

“For this morning. With Conner,” he said, and realisation dawned on Robert.

“Oh, that was nothing,” 

“Well, no you were right. He was a bit of a twat to you.” Aaron admitted, and Robert smirked at the understatement. “I was too I guess,”

Robert just shrugged, him now being the one to refuse to look the other man in the eye.

“I should have known you were just here for Seb,” Aaron stated, “I guess I just figured you had your ulterior motives. But I see now that you’re telling the truth.” Robert just looked up at the roof and bit his bottom lip.

“Look, Aaron..I’m not going to lie. Seeing you with another man...It’s the fucking worst feeling in the world. It’s like 10 trillion needles are being shoved into my heart” Robert paused, looking at Aaron whose face was unreadable. “But I guess he makes you happy, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

Aaron just nodded his head slowly, his eyes firmly on the desk in front of him. He bit his bottom lip and continued to stare into space.

“He does make you happy?” Robert asked, wanting to double-check. Aaron did a double-take, finally looking at Robert again.

“Ye...yes, of course,” he said, clearing his throat suddenly, and Robert nodded his head in acceptance.

He knew then that maybe if Aaron wasn’t going to be the love of his life, he could at least try being his friend.

“Good,” he said, “Because you deserve the world, Aaron”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually really loved writing this chapter and I loved how it turned out. 
> 
> BTW: Sorry if you're a Moira fan! I just knew for it to make sense that Adam was back something drastic would have to have happened. Hopefully, nobody will kill me! :)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Thanks so much for each and every one of you for commenting. I love hearing what you have to say and it motivates me so much to continue this story.
> 
> Next chapter is when things really start to heat up ;)


	8. Slowly spiraling out of control

Two weeks had passed since the conversation Aaron and Robert had had in the portacabin. They had now reached an understanding of each other; both of them realising, that for Seb's sake, they should try and get along. 

Robert and Seb were like two peas in a pod, constantly spending time together when Seb didn't have to be at School. They'd been up to the football field more times in one week than Aaron had seen Seb go in a month. He usually only ever played when he had training or a game, but now with Robert around, it was like he was a whole new Seb.

He was happy, and he looked so content whenever Robert was around, that Aaron actually felt grateful that the man was back after all these years. When he had first shown up, it had caught him off guard, he'd felt like his whole world had been spinning, but now he was starting to settle back into the village and it was almost like he had never left.

But Aaron had to remind himself that so much had changed, the world was a different place, and they were both different people now.

And he had another ring on his finger that definitely hadn't been there ten years ago.

***

Aaron had been sitting with a pint in the woolpack, waiting for Adam to get back from a scrap run in France. He'd been gone only a day, but they had both agreed that jobs that required an overnight would be Adam's department. Aaron hated having to go on the long-haul runs, and he didn't exactly want to leave Seb by himself.

Seb was back home now, having given in to the fact that he had to get used to the idea of Conner being under the same roof. It had definitely helped that Robert was around, as Aaron suspected that had been a contributing factor to Seb's change of heart. 

But it had really come down to the fact that Chas just wanted her home back, and having a cheeky 12-year old leaving his football boots in the middle of the hallway every day, had really hit the nail in the coffin.

Aaron noticed then that the door to the pub was opening, and in strolled Adam, a Victoria Sugden sticking to his tail. A part of Aaron perked up, as he hadn't really spoken to Vic since she had arrived. His whole fixation had been on Robert coming back, but he realised then, that he wasn't the only Sugden back in Emmerdale. He smiled at her as she took a seat next to Adam at the booth he had saved for them.

"Alright?" Aaron asked, holding onto his pint as Vic looked across the table at her ex-brother-in-law. She smiled at him,

"I hope you don't mind mate," Adam said, pointing to Vic and Aaron smiled back,

"Nah, mate. It's fine. How are you, Vic?" Aaron asked.

"I'm good," she said, as she then started looking over at the bar, her face showing she was desperate for a pint.

"How about I get us a round in?" Adam asked, and both Vic and Aaron nodded quickly. Adam then strolled over to Chas behind the bar.

Vic was looking at Aaron intently now, her brow furrowed as she looked like she was deep in concentration.

"What?" Aaron asked a hint of humour beneath his words.

"I'm just trying to see if you have any grey hairs yet," she said, and Aaron just shook his head, containing his laughter as he just settled for a smile.

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment, or an insult," Aaron said, and Vic shrugged,

"Take it as an 'It's good to see you'" she told the man and he grinned at her.

"You too, Vic." Aaron started, "Sorry, it's been a bit intense since you got here. I am happy that you're back."

"I know it's been a bit stressful. We should have told you that we were coming really," she said, and Aaron nodded, looking behind Vic to Adam who was handing a tenner over to Chas.

"I guess I was a bit shocked. But this is where you guys were born. I shouldn't have a say in whether you come back here, at the end of the day," Vic just smiled at him, not saying anything as they both then waited patiently for Adam to bring the pints over to the table.

"Finally, I'm gasping!" Vic said, as soon as the glass was placed in front of her, and both Aaron and Adam smirked at her eagerness to get the lager down her neck. 

"So, where's Seb?" Adam asked then, and Aaron screwed his face up as he looked at the time on his phone. It had just gone 4:30pm. He should've been back by now. 

"Robert said he was picking him up," Aaron told them, and Vic just smiled, happy to see that Aaron was letting Robert be in his son's life. 

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," she said. 

Chas walked over then, bringing a bowl of chips to their table. "Get your laughing gears round those," she said, a smile on her face as she placed them down. 

"Oh nice, thanks, Chas!" Adam said his voice ecstatic as he dived into the chips. Chas straightened up as she placed a loving hand on her Son's shoulder.

"Good day at the scrapyard?" she asked and Aaron just shrugged,

"I munted a car, and I made ten quid on an old oil heater. So yes, swell thank you, mother dearest," he said as he then reached over to grab a chip. Chas just rolled her eyes at her son's sarcasm, as she then swanned over to behind the bar. Vic and Adam were laughing at Aaron just as the sound of the pub door swung open.

A moment later Seb was running into the pub, a football in his hands as he quickly made his way over to his Dad. Robert strolled in after him, a smile on his face as he watched his son.

"Hey Dad," Seb said. He then looked down at the chips on the table in front of him and his eyes lit up.

"Yes!" he said excitedly as he grabbed a handful of them.

"I hope you've washed your hands!" Vic said with a laugh. The boy just looked at his aunt and poked a tongue at her, his smile on his face showing his jest.

"How was your day?" Aaron asked the boy. Seb just looked at him and shrugged, just before shoving a whole lot of chips into his mouth. Aaron tried not to smirk, but his son really did make him laugh sometimes.

Robert came to stand beside them, looking down at them as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"How are we?" he asked the group, to which he got meer grunts in response.

"What took you guys so long?" Aaron asked, and Robert turned to look at him.

"Yeah sorry. The battery on my phone died. We were on our way back from Hotten and this one wanted a burger, didn't he?" Robert said with a smirk, as he looked down at Seb, who was still shoving chips in his mouth.

"And you're still hungry?" Adam asked, his voice laced in disbelief.

"Sue me, I'm growing," Seb said, taking no notice of the quizzical looks he was getting from the four of them.

"Well, why don't you join us for a pint?" Vic asked, and Robert smiled. He looked over at Aaron then, starting to look unsure of himself.

Aaron didn't really know what to think of it either. What would people say if they saw the two of them sitting down for a drink together? It would surely be the talk of the village. 

Seb was looking at him now, a hopeful look on his face as he took glances between his two dads.

"One drink won't hurt, will it?" he asked, and Aaron smirked at the puppy dog look on the boys face.

"Yeah, fine. But you're paying," Aaron said, looking directly at Robert now. Robert just shook his head and laughed as he walked over to the bar.

"So... Where's Conner?" Seb asked, a not so curious look on his face. 

"He's on his way back from work?" Aaron asked, unsure as to why Seb would be wanting to know. "Why's that?" 

The boy just shrugged as he quickly looked back over at Robert. He turned to Aaron and smiled, a suspicious smile if Aaron had ever seen one.

"No reason," 

Aaron just looked at his son, a skeptical look on his face. What on earth was he thinking?

It only took a moment before Robert had joined them again, sitting down next to Seb on the edge of the booth. 

"So what did we miss?"

***

"So Miss Peters is looking at me at the back of the room, wondering why I keep whispering to Isaac, and I just keep staring back trying my hardest not to laugh," Seb said, as the four adults in front of him sat mesmerised by his story. They were all smiling as they listened closely,

"And then, when she goes to sit...out of nowhere, this massive fart sound happens. And the whole class is giggling, and the teacher just looks at me." Seb said, trying to tell the story through fits of laughter.

"Oh god, this is why you always get detention, isn't it?" Aaron asked, trying to not laugh, himself.

"But, no, wait," Seb said, "she just keeps looking at me, and I just look at her like I don't know what she's on about," He laughed again, "And then Isaac's like, Miss Peters...I think you need to lay off the beans," Robert screwed his eyes shut as he tried to contain his laughter, but Adam next to him was in fits, clutching his stomach as he tried to gather his composure.

"God, that poor woman!" Vic said, although she also could see the funny side to the story. 

"Don't tell me what happens next," Aaron said then, and Seb just turned to look at him, his face etched in happiness, "You got detention, the pair of you?" Seb just smiled at him sheepishly, and Aaron just rolled his eyes in response.

Another moment later, they were all still laughing about Seb's story, when the door to the pub opened. Conner entered the room, and his eyes landed on the group of them. He looked from Robert to Aaron, who was now looking over at him, neither of them knowing what the other man was thinking.

"Conner, hey," Aaron said, sitting up as he took in his fiance. He looked wrecked; his tie on his suit askew, his hair arrayed as he stood, an unreadable look on his face as he continued to stare at Robert.

Robert just turned away, taking a sip of his pint, not wanting to meet eyes with Conner. Seb was sitting next to him, his face screwed up in annoyance, as they had been having so much fun.

"This looks cozy," Conner said, his tone dark as he finally turned to look at Aaron.

"Do you want a pint?" he asked the other man, but Conner just stood frozen, not saying a word.

"We're just having a drink mate," Adam told him, but Conner didn't even bother looking at him.

"I'd rather not spend my time with prison thugs, thanks though," he snapped, and Aaron's face fell.

"Hey!" Seb yelled, but Conner just rolled his eyes at the kid. Aaron furrowed his brow then.

"I'd watch your mouth if I was you!" Vic said, her voice now raging with anger.

Robert just sat there, rolling his eyes as he refused to let Conner's words get to him. He just sat up, grabbing his pint.

"Looks like I'll be seeing you,"

"No, Rob. You stay," Aaron told him. And Robert just looked at him confused, halfway between standing up and sitting down. Aaron got up instead, making his way out the booth in a huff. His face looked dark as he grabbed Conner by the arm, dragging him out of the pub.

The rest of them were left confused, wondering what the heck had even happened. Seb's face looked distraught as he looked worriedly up to his father.

"Are you okay?" he asked him, and Robert looked down at him, giving his son a sad smile.

"Don't worry about me, mate." he said.

***

Aaron barged through the front door of the Mill, his body now coursing with anger. Conner was right behind him, an almost tired expression etched across his face. As they entered into the living room, Conner threw his briefcase onto the couch, and Aaron turned to look at him. 

"You wanna tell me what the fuck that was?" Aaron snapped, and Conner looked at him, his face completely deadpan.

"I don't like Robert," he said it so simply, and with a shrug of his shoulders like it was a fact they had gone over countless times already.

"Yeah, I got that the first time. I thought we were just accepting the fact that he was here now," Aaron said,

"Well you have," Conner said and Aaron just stepped back, looking up to the roof in frustration. "I don't trust him, Aaron. He's not here just to see Seb. He wants to worm his way back into your good books as well," 

Aaron just rolled his eyes.

"Who cares?" he demanded, "Even if he is, I'm with you! I'm not going anywhere near him!" Aaron was yelling now, the anger he was feeling in that moment was enough to drive him mad. Why did his fiance have to be so clueless?

Conner didn't say anything, just walked over to the kitchen to grab a beer,

"Is that what this is?" Aaron asked, "You don't trust me, do you?" Conner turned to face him, he was knawing his teeth as he looked like he was thinking about what he was going to say next.

"To be honest..." Conner started, "No, I don't." Aaron looked at him, his anger now reaching boiling point.

"How can you say that? What reason have I given you not to trust me?" Aaron yelled, the veins now popping out of his forehead.

"The whole village is expecting you to cop off with him!" Conner yelled, 

"Let the village believe what they want! You...you're my fiance!" Aaron yelled and Conner just looked up to the roof and scoffed,

"Well, I noticed that your divorce proceedings have come to a grinding halt. How do you expect us to get married when there's that...and him," Conner was pointing to the pub now, "...hanging over us?" 

"God! Will you listen to yourself? You're so overcome with jealousy that you've turned into a fricken nightmare!" Aaron yelled, and Conner just shook his head in disdain.

"You think I want to be like this? Ever since he's turned up I've just wanted him gone!" Conner yelled and Aaron clenched his fists.

"You think I wanted him here! He broke my heart, remember? Why would I go back to someone like that?"

"Well, you did when he got that woman pregnant! That's why Seb's here to begin with, isn't he?" Conner snapped 

"And now it's like you've completely forgotten that he gave up on you! He chose to spend a miserable life in prison by himself. He didn't want you anymore!"Aaron screwed his eyes shut, not expecting the past to just be brought up like that. A stabbing pain hit him right in the heart then. He didn't know what it meant, he just knew it hurt.

"What's your point?" he said with a gulp.

"You always go back to him!" Conner yelled, "You told me when we first got together that you didn't think you'd be able to love me as much as you loved him, do you remember that?" Aaron just looked away, refusing to meet Conner's eyes.

"What do you want me to do then? Do you want me to drop you completely? Run back to him? Forget you ever exist?"

"I want him gone! Out of both of our lives!" Conner demanded and Aaron just scoffed,

"And, what? Just have Seb missing his Dad for the rest of his life?"

"It doesn't help that your son is always on his side! He's making my life a misery, trying to make it out like Robert's some kind of hero, not like he just spent ten years in prison!" Conner yelled,

"Don't bring my son into this," Aaron warned and Conner just smirked.

"It's the truth though, he's Robert's number one fan!"

"He's his Dad, who he's wanted to get to know ever since he was born!" Aaron yelled.

"He's a stupid kid!" Conner snapped. Aaron flinched then, and suddenly he was a bull seeing red. The blood that had been coursing through his veins was now as hot as lava, and he didn't know if he would be able to contain it any longer.

"What did you just say?" Aaron said, his voice quiet, but threatening. Conner screwed his eyes shut, and it looked like he was silently berating himself.

"Aaron...I..I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." 

"Get out," Aaron said coldly, and Conner gave him a pleading look.

"Aaron, please, I'm sorry." he tried to move closer to the other man, but as he moved forward Aaron took a step back.

"I said, get out!" Aaron was looking at the floor now, pointing towards the door to the flat, his teeth firmly clenched together as he tried to compose himself. Conner screwed his eyes shut, as he then silently started to move forward. he grabbed his briefcase from the sofa as he then headed to the front door. He gave Aaron one last look before he entered into the night.

***

Robert was surprised to see Aaron the next morning. He was sitting outside the portacabin, a can of beer in his hand as he sat with an unreadable expression etched across his face. He didn't know how to approach him, as he could've guessed that the events of last night, after the pub incident, wouldn't have been pretty.

"Alright?" Robert asked, his voice laced with concern. It was 10 am in the morning, and Aaron was already knocking back a can? He most definitely wasn't a happy bloke right now.

Aaron just looked at him, swallowing a sip of beer, but not saying a word. Robert furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I'm sorry about how last night ended," Robert started to say but chose to not carry on as he watched the other man skull the rest of his can.

Jesus, Robert thought to himself. Conner, what have you done?

He could remember what it was like to be in the dog house with Aaron. It had never been a fun experience.

"Will you just tell me whether you're okay?" Robert asked, hoping for some kind of response from the other man. Aaron just looked at him, throwing the can into the metal pile of scrap that wasn't too far away from him.

He got up from his seat, and Robert watched as he walked over to a car, picked up a metal rod and whacked it against the bonnet. Robert flinched at the sound, the slamming noise of metal against metal bringing back memories he would rather forget. 

Robert watched Aaron with a concerned look on his face. The other man was smashing the cars so hard, that it looked like the dents were being dented. He knew then that it was best if he just left the other man alone for now. If he wanted to talk, he would.

***

It was only about an hour later before Aaron finally entered into the portacabin. He still didn't say anything as their eyes met. Robert was sitting behind his desk, trying to disguise his concern with a look of concentration as he stared back down at his computer screen.

Aaron just moved towards the kettle, flicking it on as he moved around, searching for what Robert could only guess was a mug.

Robert couldn't help it, as he just wanted to know the other man was okay.

"Aaron, are you alright?" 

He was met with silence, again. Robert rolled his eyes then.

"Aaron, don't ignore me," he said and Aaron just turned to face him, his face unreadable. He sighed deeply as he moved closer to Robert's desk.

"You always have to ruin things, don't you?" Aaron said quietly, and a confused look made its way onto Robert's face.

"What do you mean?" Robert asked, not knowing what the other man was going on about. Aaron continued to move closer.

"Well, you just had to come back here, didn't you? You had to swan in as if nothing had ever happened?" Robert sat back in his chair, his brow furrowed as he listened to Aaron. He'd reached his desk.

The other man was so close to him now, his hands now placed firmly on the wooden desk in front of Robert. He leaned over it as he clenched his teeth, his face in line with Robert's.

"Everything would still be fine if you would have just stayed locked up," Aaron said. Robert clenched his teeth, backing his chair up as he grabbed his coat. He wasn't going to stay and listen to this. This he expected from someone like Conner. But Aaron, no, he wasn't going to take it.

He moved around his desk and started to head towards the door to the portacabin.

"Oh, look who's ignoring who now!" Aaron yelled, a sad laugh hidden behind his words.

"I thought you'd gotten past this, the fact that I was back!" Robert yelled at him and Aaron just smirked. Robert could tell then that he had only been trying to get a rile out of him.

"What happened?" Robert asked. Aaron sighed deeply as he leaned against Robert's desk.

"Nothing like this would have happened if you hadn't shown up," Aaron whispered, who was now looking down at his feet.

"You've said that already," Robert told the other man. Aaron was quiet for a second, and Robert could see a tear starting to well up in the other man's eye.

"Nothing like this would have happened if you hadn't given up on us," Aaron whispered again. Robert did a double-take, not sure if he had heard Aaron correctly.

"What did you just say?" he asked and Aaron snapped his head to look at him. The tears were now running down his face.

"That day...in prison. When you told me not to visit anymore. That was you giving up on us!" Aaron yelled it this time. Robert gulped, having not expected this to come out of Aaron's mouth.

"Aaron..." he started, but Aaron cut him off

"You didn't just give up on Seb, you gave up on me too!" Aaron cried, the tears now pouring down his face.

"Aaron where is this coming from?" Robert begged,

"You don't get it, do you?" Aaron said, "I loved you!" 

"Aaron, I don't know what you want me to say!"

"I loved you and you just left me!" 

"I didn't want you to see me like that!" Robert cried this time, tears of his own now welling up in his eyes. He didn't know what was happening, but he hated seeing Aaron so upset. And bringing up the memories of the past was only making him feel the pain again, which he still hadn't been freed from, even after being released from prison.

"You don't think I know what prison is like?" Aaron asked, and Robert screwed his eyes shut. Aaron moved away from the desk, as he then slowly started to make his way over to Robert.

"It would have been hell for you, seeing me in there every week," Robert tried to get him to understand. But Aaron just shook his head.

"I wouldn't have cared. I would have seen you, I loved you," Aaron told him, and Robert breathed deeply, not knowing how to deal with the tension that was building between them.

"I was constantly being beaten up, I was treated like a puppet in there. I didn't want you or Seb exposed to that. I didn't think it would have been fair on you," Robert explained. Aaron just continued to move closer.

"That should have been my decision, and you just took it away from me," Aaron said,

"I..." Robert started, but Aaron cut him off.

"Do you know how empty I felt?" he asked, and Robert just gulped as he watched Aaron get even closer to him. He knew if Aaron came any closer he would be pressed against the door.

"I felt empty too," he admitted, his breathing getting heavy as Aaron was so close now his nerves could sense him. The hair was sticking up on his arms now as the tension between them was getting too much to bear.

He could see that Aaron was breathing heavily as well, and now his heart was beating a mile a minute. He didn't know what to think or feel. All he could focus on was the proximity between him and the man he loved.

It only took a moment, and at that moment Robert's breath caught in his throat, as Aaron launched himself forward, smashing their lips together with such force, Robert could feel the other man's teeth.

His mind went blank. His world went blank. He closed his eyes and felt himself be consumed by the kiss. There was so much passion between them, and so much heat that Robert felt like he could barely breathe.

He kissed Aaron back, pulling his hands up to cup the back of his head, pulling him closer, as Aaron snaked his arms around Robert's back. They kissed intensely, their lips pressed together, their tongues dancing as they both let out moans of pleasure. Robert could smell the oil on Aaron's skin, his hands rough as he brushed them over the shirt by Robert's hips.

Robert couldn't believe that this was happening. He had been wanting this for so long now, he could barely fathom that it was actually happening. Aaron breathed into Robert's mouth, as Robert moved his hands down to the base of Aaron's shirt. He wanted to feel his body, he wanted to see what he had been missing all these years. He snaked a hand up to feel Aaron's abs, and the other man let out a deep groan in response. 

He pushed his body forward, making sure there was no air between them now as Aaron continued to press Robert up to the door of the portacabin.

God this feels good, Robert thought as he could feel Aaron start to grind against him. God, Robert wanted him. He missed him so much, he missed his body, he missed him more than physically possible.

He didn't want this to stop.

But then it did. Aaron pulled away suddenly, his forehead pressed against Robert's, his breathing heavy as he tried to contain himself. He was still so close as Robert looked at him, a concerned look on his face. But there was an unreadable look in his eyes and Aaron backed away.

He gulped, as he looked down to the floor of the portacabin, now refusing to meet Robert's gaze.

Robert started to move away from the door, "Aaron.." he started, but Aaron just shook his head forcefully,

"I um...I have to go" he said, clearing his throat. He quickly pushed his way past Robert, making his way out of the portacabin faster than the speed of light.

Robert watched him head to his car on the other side of the scrapyard. He was quick to get in the vehicle, slamming the door behind him as he went.

Robert saw him look up, staring at him now from the other side of the windshield. They shared a look, one filled with so much tension, and so many emotions, Robert didn't know who was going to look away first.

But Aaron did. 

He turned on the car, and put his foot to the floor, speeding out of the yard before Robert could catch his breath.

He knew it had been too good to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter is finally here. I hope you guys enjoyed it! 
> 
> As you can see, things are starting to kick into gear. And the next chapter will deal with the ramifications of the kiss. But still, we love a steamy snog, right? ;) Don't worry there will be more where that came from!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Thank you so much for your support!


	9. You consume me

Aaron was sitting at the dining table of the mill, his body slumped over as his mind continued to spiral. His face was sullen, as he stared down at his phone. On it was a picture, one he hadn't stared at for what felt like an eternity. It was his wedding day, 11 years ago, when they had been dressed in their navy suits; the whole world having felt like it was theirs to conquer together, as a team.

It was hard to even think back to now, as so much had changed. He looked at the photo and noticed the smile on his face, his eyes lit up in pure love and desire for the man next to him. Robert. His Robert.

Aaron didn't know what had come over him. At one point he had been distraught about the argument with Conner, knocking back his can of beer like it was lolly water, and then the next minute he had felt so consumed by the desire he'd had for his ex-husband.

He still was his husband, though, Aaron had to remind himself. They'd never officially been divorced. And when Conner had brought up that fact only the other day, a part of making it official had Aaron feeling sick to his stomach.

He couldn't get the kiss out of his head. It had felt so good, and the connection between them had felt like it had never been severed. But now? All Aaron felt was guilt.

Guilt for betraying Conner, guilt for leading Robert on, guilt for letting go of his self-control.

Aaron didn't know what to do.

It was at that moment that Aaron heard the pitter-patter of feet coming down the spiral staircase. He looked over to see Seb making his way into the kitchen. He had his school uniform on and was now looking at Aaron with concern etched across his face.

"Morning," Aaron said, clearing his throat and putting his phone away quickly, hiding the photo before Seb could see it. 

"Hey," Sed said, his voice laced with suspicion as he stared at Aaron skeptically. "You okay?" he asked his Dad after a moment. Aaron just nodded, refusing to meet his son's eyes. He didn't want him to see the confusion that was running through his mind. It would only stress Seb out, and he knew Seb didn't need that right now.

"You ready for school?" Aaron asked, changing the subject. Seb nodded, still a curious look on his face, as he then moved over to the bench to start making some breakfast.

"Yeah, I have football after school. Do you wanna come and pick me up?" Seb asked, now pouring cereal into a bowl. Aaron nodded, 

"You don't want Robert to come pick you up?" he asked, and Seb smiled.

"I guess, we haven't spent a lot of time together lately. I can see him for dinner or something," Seb explained, and Aaron just smiled at him, 

"Yeah, okay, that would be great." 

"I, ah..." Seb started to say a moment later. Aaron looked at him, his interest piqued. "I noticed Conner wasn't here last night," he said, and Aaron just screwed his eyes shut, not wanting to get into this with his son. But he was a smart kid, of course, he would have noticed.

"Is it because of what he said the other day at the pub?" Seb asked, his voiced laced with concern. Aaron just looked away, refusing to look his son in the eyes.

"We're just taking a little break from each other, no big deal." Aaron tried to play it off. But he knew Seb wasn't stupid.

"He was way out of order, I hope you know that," Seb said, and Aaron just sighed, his mind running through the events of the last few days. He nodded his head, 

"You should have stood up for Rob, Dad. He isn't a bad person. You've told me that my whole life," Seb was trying to make his dad see sense. But he was only confirming to Aaron what the man had been thinking himself. Robert had just been going on with his day, and Conner had acted like a complete twat.

It made matters even worse, that now, he couldn't get the feeling of Robert's body pressed up against him, out of his mind. 

"You should go and get your schoolbag," Aaron told his son, but Seb just gave him a disapproving look.

"He's awful Dad, can't you see that. He's making Robert's life a misery," Seb said, and now Aaron was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. He wanted this conversation to stop, he didn't want Seb to confirm things that Aaron was starting to suspect himself.

"He's just stressed Seb, just please, drop it," Aaron begged, but Seb wasn't letting it go.

"Can't you just get back together with my Dad, I know he means a lot to you. I can see it!" Seb said, and Aaron screwed his eyes shut, not knowing what to think or do at that moment.

"That's not an option Seb! I'm with Conner, I belong with Conner," Aaron snapped, and Seb just looked at him, his face etched in annoyance. He didn't say anything, he just slammed his bowl of cereal on the bench as he grabbed his school bag and headed towards the door. 

Aaron flinched when the front door shut loudly behind him. 

He didn't know what the thoughts were that were running through his head. He was run rampant with confusion, his emotions creating an angry storm inside his mind.

He ran his hands over his face, breathing deeply as he tried to compose himself. What if Seb was right? Should he be with Robert? 

That kiss had felt amazing.

But then he berated himself for even thinking it for one second.

No, Robert and him were done. Their story had ended years ago.

He needed to be with Conner.

He grabbed his phone and dialed his fiances' number. It only took a moment before the other man picked up.

"Aaron?" he said, his voice sounding a mixture between desperation and pure relief,

"Hey," Aaron said, clearing his throat after a moment. "Can you come home?" he asked,

He heard a deep sigh on the other end of the line.

"Of course," Conner whispered. Aaron gulped then, not understanding any of his emotions as he listened to Conner's voice.

"I'll see you soon," Aaron whispered.

* * *

Robert could barely move, as he lay in his bed looking up to the ceiling. He could still barely get his head around what had happened yesterday. Aaron had kissed him. He hadn't imagined it, he had really kissed him.

Robert moved a hand up to touch his lips, still unable to get the feeling of Aaron to go away. They had been so close, their bodies had been so close.

Robert tried to ignore the fact that it had been the most intimate moment of his life for the past ten years. He hadn't been touched like that in what felt like a lifetime, and he hadn't been held so closely, so intimately for so long, that now he only longed for it more than he had a day ago.

If he hadn't wanted Aaron back before, he definitely did now. He wanted more of him. No, he needed more of him.

Although, no matter how much he had enjoyed the kiss, he couldn't get it out of his head, why Aaron would have done it. He had Conner, and yeah they may have had a fight, but Aaron wasn't the one to cheat. He just wouldn't do it.

Did that mean they were over?

Robert didn't want to get his hopes up. But he couldn't wrap his head around how close he and Aaron had been.

He figured the only way he would be able to get his mind off of it, would be if he actually got up and went for a walk. He quickly got out of his bed and got dressed. He then sent a quick text to Vic, who he knew would still be sleeping, that he was just going to get a coffee.

It wasn't long until he was down the stairs and outside the B&B on the main street, heading towards the cafe. It was a cold morning; winter had finally settled in, the lead-up to Christmas in full swing. There had already been a few snowfalls and the ground looked like it was frozen over. Robert was glad that he had his big coat on as he continued to walk. He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them up when he saw a car pull up and park outside the cafe.

Robert gulped when he saw Conner get out of the vehicle a moment later, the man locking eyes with him as soon as he'd taken his first step. Robert stopped dead in his tracks, not knowing what to do as he and Conner just continued to stare each other down.

Conner was the first to look away, but only for a moment before he started making his way over to Robert. 

Oh god, Robert thought. What did he want now?

He was caught off guard though when Conner came to stand next to him, his face apologetic as he extended a hand to him. Robert hadn't been expecting that.

He looked around him, noticing a few villagers watching on skeptically, probably checking to see that nothing would kick off between the two blokes. Liv was standing outside the cafe, watching Robert with her arms crossed, her brow furrowed as she took in the exchange that was occurring in front of her.

"What's this?" Robert asked, and Conner just smirked.

"A peace offering," he told him, and Robert gulped, trying to shake the image of Aaron groaning into his kiss, out of his head. He carefully took the other man's hand, shaking it as he continued to feel unsure of himself. 

What the heck was even happening right now? Robert thought to himself.

He looked over Conner's shoulder then, seeing Aaron approaching them. He gulped again as he took in the guilty expression on the other man's face. Conner turned around, smiling softly as he recognised his fiance.

Aaron looked at him, smiling back. Robert noticed though that it wasn't reaching his eyes.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice concerned as he stared between Conner and Robert.

"I'm just apologising," Conner said, looking back at Robert then.

Robert shared a look with Aaron, not knowing how to react, or what the other man was thinking.

God, this is a mess, he thought. He looked back at Conner, his face deadpan.

"Whatever," he said, not really wanting to pay any attention to the other man. Conner just furrowed a brow at him.

"I mean it, Robert. I don't want any more grief." Conner stated, and Robert smirked.

"You mean you don't want to look like a twat in front of him anymore," Robert said, pointing his head towards Aaron. 

Conner just shook his head, screwing his eyes shut. Aaron cleared his throat, now refusing to meet Robert's gaze. 

He was looking at him sadly, a longing look, that Robert hoped to got let Aaron know that he still wanted him. After all this time, he just wanted his husband back. 

"Conner, come on," Aaron said a moment later, turning away, still not bothering to look at Robert. Conner just sighed deeply, following behind his fiance. Robert watched them walk back towards the Mill.

He was left standing in the middle of the road. He'd definitely got the message then. The kiss had meant nothing to Aaron at all.

Liv had been watching on, and Robert turned to face her as he started moving towards the cafe.

"You alright?" she asked him, still keeping her arms shrugged against her chest. He smiled at Aaron's sister, nodding as he pushed open the door, the smell of coffee meeting him instantly.

Liv was following behind him as he took a seat on the couch by the window, gesturing to Bob that he wanted his regular. She sat down on the couch across from him, a concerned look on her face as she leaned in towards him.

"I know you still love him, you don't have to hide it," she said to him, and he sighed deeply.

"I'm not hiding anything," 

"Then admit that you're hurting," she said.

Robert just looked at her, his face sullen as he didn't know how to respond.

"I just want him back, Liv," he said in defeat, and she nodded, a sad smile on her face.

"He's happy with Conner," she told him and he nodded, chewing his lip as he refused to meet her eyes.

He didn't say anything for a moment, just waited for Bob to bring over his americano. He brought the hot cup of coffee to his lips, suddenly reveling in the feeling of caffeine running through his system.

"He's a nice guy, Rob. Once you get to know him," she explained, and Robert smirked.

"That's funny. He seems like a right twat to me," he said. Liv smirked, shaking her head. She licked her lips, as she looked like she was thinking.

"It took him a long time," She started, and Robert looked at her then, "He refused to move on. We had to practically force him to go on dates back in the beginning," Robert nodded, as he listened closely to Liv.

"He was adamant that he was never going to fall in love with anyone else." She said, and Robert was forced to face the fact that he had hurt Aaron so much, more than he thought he had all those years ago. He hadn't thought of the damage it would have done to the man he loved. He'd thought he was the one suffering for so long, he realised then, that Aaron had suffered too.

"Was there anyone else?" Robert asked, "Aside from Conner," Liv sighed deeply, looking up to the ceiling like she was deep in thought.

"Not really," she explained. "He was even hesitant about Conner, at first," Robert tried not to show his interest being piqued then.

"We encouraged him though. We tried to make him see that you weren't coming back," Liv said, and Robert screwed his face up in anguish. She looked at him apologetically.

"Obviously we didn't know you would be out so soon," she explained herself, and he just shrugged.

"No it's fine, I didn't know myself," he said in response. Liv just continued to smile at him sadly.

"My point is, Conner was good for him. He helped him out of a slump that none of us knew how to bring him out of," she said. "I don't want to see him spiral out of control like that, and I don't think he wants to either." Robert nodded sadly.

"He's been happier with Conner than he has been for years. You've shaken things up Robert, and you caught him off guard. It might just take a bit of time before he properly warms up to you."

Robert furrowed his brow, not knowing how to take in any of the information Liv was telling him. He understood why Conner was such a big part of Aaron's life now. But why then, if Aaron was so happy with him, had he kissed him so passionately only the day before?

Robert was more confused than he'd been before. Aaron was under his skin more now than ever.

"Do you think I have any kind of chance with him?" Robert asked Liv, and she shrugged, smiling sadly,

"Only Aaron can give you the answer to that," she said.

* * *

Aaron was sitting on the sofa, Conner sitting across from him on the coffee table. They had barely spoken a word to each other, neither of them knowing how to break the tension between them.

Aaron's mind was still spiraling, the kiss with Robert still so fresh in his mind. He'd kissed him, and it had felt good. But now all Aaron felt was guilt. He didn't say anything to Conner, knowing if he came clean it would just tip the other man over the edge.

"Aaron, I'm so sorry," Conner said quickly, his breathing heavy as he stared at his fiance, a desperate look on his face, one that showed Aaron he was begging for forgiveness. Aaron shook his head, not knowing how he was going to get through this.

"For which part?" Aaron asked

"All of it," Conner pleaded, reaching forward to grab Aaron's hands in his. Aaron let him but still refused to meet his eyes.

"I do trust you, of course, I do!" Conner said, and Aaron was forced to screw his eyes shut, silently berating himself. He didn't say anything in response, but this time, he managed to look up and stare into Conner's pleading eyes. 

"And what I said about Seb, you have to know I didn't mean it," he pleaded again, and Aaron nodded, sniffing as he continued to look at his fiance.

"It was out of line," Aaron told him, still feeling a resurgence of anger course through him as he thought back to what he'd said about his son. Conner gulped in response, nodding his head quickly,

"I know. I'm so sorry. I was angry, I'd had a long day at the office. I love Seb, you know I do." Conner said. Aaron nodded his head, looking away again, down to his fiances' hands which were holding his so tightly. He saw his matching ring on his finger, stroking it softly.

A pang hit him in his chest as he remembered the ring that was still on Robert's finger. The ring that he'd felt pressed against his cheek as they'd kissed, the cold metal having caused shivers to run down his spine. 

"Do you forgive me?" Conner asked, Aaron, forcing himself to snap out of his reverie. He gulped as he looked over at his fiance.

He didn't know what to do, all he could think about was the blonde man that had kissed him so passionately yesterday, he had been so intoxicating. Aaron couldn't get him out of his head.

He did the only thing he could think of to force the other man out of his brain, as he forced himself forward, latching his lips onto Conner's as the other man was caught by surprise.

He kissed him back just as fiercely, and Aaron pulled him towards him so that he was straddling him on the sofa now. Conner grabbed him behind his ears, pulling his face up to meet his as he hovered over him. He smirked behind the kiss, pulling off for a moment.

"I take that as a yes," he whispered. But Aaron didn't say anything, just forced his lips back onto Conner's.

It only took a moment before Aaron pushed Conner off him and onto the sofa, the other man now flat on his back. He looked up at Aaron with a lustful expression, and Aaron just climbed in between his legs, covering the other man with his whole body. 

They reignited their kiss, Aaron pulling Conner as close to him as possible, grinding down on the other man, who was groaning in pleasure, at Aaron's mercy.

As Aaron continued to try and pleasure his fiance, he tried as hard as he could to get the blonde man out of his head. 

This was who he was supposed to be with, he thought to himself as he pushed into the man beneath him.

Robert only ever hurt him, he thought as he grunted every time he thrust forward, the man beneath him crying out in pleasure.

Conner was what he needed. Conner was who he wanted.

At least that's what he told himself.

* * *

Aaron didn't know what he was doing here. After he'd finished with Conner they'd gone to the pub for lunch. Conner had told him he did have a job that he needed to get to, laughing that he'd happily have spent the whole day with him after their sexual antics, but it was a super busy time at the moment, and he needed to at least show his face.

Aaron had let him go, happy to actually have a moment for him to get his thoughts together.

But now he was at the B&B, talking to Eric, asking him which room was Robert's.

He just needed to talk to him. He needed to explain himself.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Aaron, it's against my policy to give out people's room number,"

"It's me, Eric," Aaron tried to get him to understand, but he didn't think it was working.

"Aaron?" he heard his name being called from behind him, and he turned to face the front door of The Grange. To Aaron's surprise, Robert was standing there, a bag of groceries held tightly in his arms.

Aaron gulped as he looked at him, walking over slightly until he met Robert across the room.

"What are you doing here?" Robert asked, unsure of himself. Aaron didn't know what to say, unable to find his words. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then nothing came out.

"You okay?" Robert asked again, and Aaron just looked at him with a nervous gulp.

"Can we talk?" he asked a moment later, pointing upstairs to Robert's room. Robert gave him a confused look, furrowing his brow as he nodded slowly, unsure of himself.

"Yeah, okay. Come up," he told him as he moved towards the stairs. They both ignored the suspicious look they were getting from Eric as they ventured up the staircase.

It didn't take long before they were standing in Robert's room, and Aaron couldn't help but look around the place. He noticed that it was practically empty. 

"You haven't really made yourself at home," he told the man. Robert just sat down on the bed, watching the other man as he continued to look around.

"Not a lot of things for me to fill the place with," Robert admitted, and Aaron nodded, a look of understanding crossing his face. All of Robert's most prime possessions he'd left behind ten years ago.

"I have a few of your things, still in storage, if you wanted them," Aaron offered, and Robert nodded, appreciating the sentiment.

"Guess I should find a place first before I have you going through all that old crap," he said, and Aaron smirked, nodding his head.

"So that means you're sticking around then?" Aaron asked, and Robert just nodded slowly. It was quiet for a moment, neither of them saying anything. Aaron couldn't help but feel slightly awkward as he stood in the center of Robert's room.

"What are you doing here Aaron?" he asked, wanting the other man to get to the point. Aaron knew then that he couldn't beat around the bush any longer.

Aaron gulped, not knowing what it was that he actually wanted to talk to Robert about. He couldn't come up with a good enough reason as to why he'd kissed him. He knew it was dangerous territory bringing it up, so he just went for the safer option.

"I've made up with Conner," he said, and he watched as Robert's face fell. The other man looked away, his eyes focusing now on the window that looked out over the village. He just nodded, and Aaron didn't know what to think.

"Is that all?" he asked him, and Aaron just gulped again, not sure what to say now.

It's silent for a moment.

"Does he make you happy?" Robert asked then, out of the blue. Aaron looked caught off guard by the question, and Robert stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"I.." Aaron paused, and Robert nodded, standing up from where he was sitting on the bed.

"It's a simple question Aaron," Robert said, and Aaron just gulped again, watching as Robert took a step closer towards him. 

"He does," Aaron admitted, and Robert sniffed, looking away for a moment before he tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. 

"I don't believe you," He said, and Aaron furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What...What do you mean?" 

"See...I maybe would have believed that before I had arrived back here. But I can see it, Aaron..." Robert paused, as he continued to get closer to him. Every step was achingly slow, as the other man looked at Aaron so intently, Aaron couldn't look away. He was only a few feet away now, and Aaron's breathing was starting to run away from him.

"See what?" Aaron asked, unsure of himself. He continued to hold the other man's gaze.

"I'm under your skin," Robert whispered, his face now only a mere few inches from Aaron's. Aaron could feel Robert's breath on his skin, and it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Aaron pretended to smirk, the butterflies in his stomach now fluttering at full force.

"Conceited much?" He asked, and Robert just smiled and shook his head with a laugh.

"No, I just know you better than anyone," He admitted and Aaron just gulped again. They continued to share each other's gaze, the tension building between them just like it had the day before.

"That kiss...it meant something," Robert tried to make Aaron see sense, but he just shook his head.

"It didn't" he whispered, as he stared at the other man. Robert just looked down at his lips, and Aaron could see the desire in his eyes.

"It did," 

Aaron gulped again, trying to gather his composure. His heart was beating a mile a minute, his breathing barely under control. He felt like he would combust any minute.

There was a pulsing feeling in his gut, and Aaron didn't know if he would be able to hold back his resolve for much longer.

"We have a connection, Aaron," Robert whispered, his lips now right by Aaron's ear. But Aaron didn't move, he stayed put as Robert lay a hand on his cheek. "We always have...and we always will,"

Aaron couldn't bear it anymore as he launched forward, pulling Robert into his grasp, groaning in pleasure as their lips met again.

It was like a fire was going off in his mind, as the intense heat between them was only ignited more than it already had been. There was no way Aaron could deny that he wanted Robert, he'd always wanted Robert. That hadn't changed, even after all these years.

The kiss yesterday had only been a preview to the intense passion that was taking over them both, as they consumed each other in their kiss. It was lips on lips, hands-on body, passion on tension, as they continued to let the connection between them overpower their resolve.

Aaron pushed Robert back, gripping the buttons of his shirt as he quickly forced it off of the other man's chest. Robert gasped, and gripped the hem of Aaron's jumper, clutching it in his grasp, waiting for the man to let him know it was okay for him to take it off him.

Aaron nodded, then Robert quickly pulled the thick material over his head. It was skin on skin now, as they collided together, their minds completely blank as they reveled in each other's touch.

Aaron kissed the side of Robert's neck, pulling him closer to him as he walked him back towards the bed.

Robert was surprised then when Aaron shoved him back. Aaron took in the man beneath him, his mind only seeing the beauty in what lay before him. He noticed a long scar, on Robert's collar bone, and a concerned look made its way onto his face.

"Robert?" he whispered, his voice laced in empathy, but Robert just reached forward, not wanting to ruin the moment as he pulled the other man down to meet his lips. He had scars now, more than he had ten years earlier. But he didn't feel like explaining them now.

"I want you," Robert whispered, moving his lips to kiss Aaron's neck.

"I want you too," he whispered back. They shared a look just before Robert sat up, forcing Aaron onto his back. He leaned down, kissing the younger man's chest, making quick work of the belt on Aaron's jeans.

Excitement shot through Aaron as he felt Robert's hand sneak beneath his boxers. He cupped Aaron's manhood, and Aaron had to roll his eyes into the back of his head, unable to believe the level of pleasure he was getting from just one touch.

They both quickly removed the rest of their clothing, until it was just them, nothing between them, their bodies grinding against each other, no barriers between them.

"I've missed you, I've missed this so much," Robert groaned into Aaron's ear, as he reached down to stroke Aaron's hole. Pleasure shot through Aaron's whole body then. He hadn't been touched like that in years. He gasped as Robert continued to stroke him, his cock so hard it was now curving up towards his stomach.

"Oh god" Aaron groaned in pleasure, not wanting Robert to stop. He grabbed hold of Robert's cock, the thickness of it something he'd been missing for all these years. Robert continued to kiss down Aaron's body, continuing his work on his hole as he went.

Aaron was in pure ecstasy, unable to stop himself from grinding his hips towards Robert. The other man continued to kiss him, and then finally he'd reached Aaron's cock, taking it into his mouth before Aaron could even comprehend what was happening.

Aaron grabbed hold of the sheets, gripping them tightly as the pleasure continued to shoot through him.

"Robert," he groaned, and he looked down to meet the other man's gaze, his cheeks just as flushed as Aaron's. 

It felt so dirty, but oh so good. Robert licked up the underside of his cock, and Aaron groaned again, reaching down to grab the back of Robert's head. He watched the other man suck him off, and it only made him want even more. 

Robert quickly sat up, reaching into the table beside his bed, where he'd been storing some lube. Aaron smirked,

"Somebody was prepared," Robert just looked down at him, not saying anything. The intense look in his eye only made Aaron want him more, as he waited patiently for Robert to pump some of the cold liquid onto his fingers.

A moment later he reached down to Aaron's hole, and Aaron arched his back, letting the other man have easier access.

He groaned softly when Robert entered one finger inside him, his body slowly getting used to the sudden intrusion. It had been such a long time.

He moaned in pleasure as the older man started to massage him, leaning down to kiss him as he continued to prepare him.

"I can't believe this is happening," Robert whispered, as he kissed Aaron's neck. Aaron rolled his eyes back in pleasure, as Robert continued to kiss that sweet spot. The spot that Aaron loved being kissed. The spot that only Robert knew about, the spot that Robert remembered after all this time.

Robert gently entered another finger into Aaron's hole, and he continued to writhe beneath him. It felt so good. It felt too good. God, he didn't want it to stop.

Finally, Robert entered a third finger, and Aaron could feel that he was ready. He needed Robert so bad. He wanted him inside him.

"I need you," Aaron whispered seductively, and Robert only complied.

He removed his fingers quickly, and Aaron groaned at the sudden loss of contact. But it was only for a moment as Robert slathered more lube onto his thick cock, which was so hard, it made Aaron's mouth water.

It only took a moment for Robert to line himself up. He looked down intently at the man he loved as he thrust into him. 

Aaron's eyes rolled into the back of his head, as he felt every inch of Robert line his inner walls. God, he was everything he had missed. He could feel every vein, every line, every inch of the other man. He didn't want this to stop.

"Fuck me, Robert," Aaron groaned, and Robert just looked down at him, taking him in as he lifted Aaron's legs so they were either side of him. He started to rock slowly, his cock going in and out of the man beneath him.

Aaron couldn't hide his pleasure, as it continued to course through him. He hadn't felt this good in ages. He wanted more, he needed more.

"Don't stop," he groaned, and that only caused Robert to pick up the pace.

"God, I've wanted you like this for so long," the other man said, and it only managed to tip Aaron over the edge. He cried out in ecstasy as he continued to feel the other man hit his prostate over and over and over.

He loved every minute, he felt so grounded at the moment.

He looked up at Robert, who was thrusting his hips at invigorating speed. He looked wrecked, as his breathing was ragged, sweat appearing on his forehead. 

They held each other's gaze for a moment, neither of them wanting the moment to end.

Robert leaned down then, catching his lips against Aaron's. Through ragged breaths they continued to kiss, their tongues dancing together as Robert continued to thrust his cock in and out of Aaron's hole.

It would only be a matter of time now, as Aaron could feel heat pooling up in his stomach. He didn't want this to end, he wanted it to last forever. Robert hit his prostate once again, and he gasped, his mind blank other than the pleasure he was feeling at that moment.

"I'm going to come!" Robert said, his brow furrowing as he continued to push his hips forward.

"Oh god!" Aaron cried, and it was only another moment before white, hot come burst out from his cock. He watched then as Robert quickly released his cock from Aaron's walls, hammering it in his hands quickly as his climax continued to build.

Aaron laid, spent, watching his man beat himself off, and it was driving him wild. It only took a second for the white liquid to release from Robert's manhood, the sticky hot seed firing all over Aaron's chest. 

Robert fell onto his back beside Aaron, his face completely wrought with exhaustion.

Aaron sighed deeply, trying to catch his breath as he continued to stare at the other man.

They shared a look, as they both finally realised the magnitude of what had just happened between them. 

Aaron screwed his eyes shut, his mind now able to fathom the meaning behind it all. He laid his head back on the pillow as he stared up to the ceiling.

Aaron silently berated himself.

Oh god, what had they done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, that happened ;)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it. My smut writing is rusty but I hope I did it justice.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> The next chapter will be more from Aaron's perspective as he tries to deal with his emotions. Because boy does he have a lot them.
> 
> Thank you guys for all your support in the last chapter! I was absolutely blown away by the amount of love this story is getting.


	10. You may have left my life but you never left my mind

Aaron was at the footie field, watching from the sidelines as Seb's team continued to win at the game they were playing. He watched as his son flew across the field, his striped socks blurring into a line as he kicked the ball to his teammates. 

He really was incredible, and Aaron wished he had more time to see more of his games. He liked watching Seb play, it always managed to put a smile on his face as he watched his son zoom around. And right now Aaron needed the distraction, his mind constantly thinking back to Robert and their moment of passion earlier that day.

Aaron had no idea what to make of it, no idea as to what had come over him. He knew that there had been tension building between them, but he hadn't known exactly how much until he had been shagging him in the heat of the moment.

It had felt so good, and he could still feel where Robert had been only hours ago. 

But then another part of him felt tremendously guilty.

Conner.

That had been the first thought that had crossed his mind as soon as the fleeting moment of passion was done.

Aaron wasn't a cheater. He never had been and now he wished to god that it didn't feel like that word was now branded across his forehead.

Because that's what he was. A cheater.

There was no going back now. He had slept with Robert. And he had enjoyed it. But that didn't take away from his infidelity.

God, what was he supposed to do now?

All of these thoughts continued to cross his mind, driving him crazy as he tried to get a grip. He tried to focus on Seb's game, watching his son run to catch the ball. He gulped, as he shoved the image of a naked Robert out of his mind.

Seb ran forward, kicking the ball towards the end goal, his opponents keeping up with him as he pushed forward.

Aaron perked up, starting to cheer as his son got closer. Other parents looked on, cheering the team on as Seb was only a few meters away now. 

"Yes Seb!" he called, and he could see the corners of Seb's mouth turn upwards as his father continued to cheer him on.

This was the distraction Aaron needed. He cheered and cheered until finally, Seb managed to kick the ball to his teammate, the opposition now in the way of the goal. He ran in a circle to get passed him, the other boy chasing him as Seb set his sites on his teammate.

He was the one blocked now, as Seb then sidestepped, catching his teammate's attention, who then kicked the ball back in Seb's direction.

Seb caught it with his foot, then driving it forward with a hefty kick. It went flying, the goal now in its trajectory. It headed straight for goal, the goalkeeper too slow to catch it in his grasp. There was a swishing sound as the ball caught itself in the net.

Aaron cheered then, throwing his fist into the air in victory. Seb looked over at him and smiled widely, his teeth showing as Aaron looked at him proudly.

"Good boy!" Aaron called, and Seb tried not to laugh, shaking his head as he ran over to join his team on the other side of the field.

Aaron was happy to have the moment of distraction, but it didn't last long as he watched his son huddle with his team.

Robert was already back in his head, and Aaron had a feeling he wasn't going to go away that easily.

Later, after the game, Seb came to find him standing by the car. He was smiling, but he still had a sad glint in his eyes.

"You came?" Seb asked, his voice unsure.

Aaron looked at him, his brow furrowing as he showed his confusion.

"Of course I did. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Seb just shrugged, throwing his footie bag into the back seat. He looked back up at his father.

"I thought you were mad at me," Seb said, "After this morning. About what I said about you and Rob," Aaron tried not to screw his eyes shut at the mention of his ex's name, images continuing to crowd his mind of the other man poised above him, his face in a state of disarray, sweat glistening on his forehead. 

Aaron shook the thought away, smiling down at his son. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm not mad at you Seb, and even if I was. Like I would miss out on you scoring a goal like that. You were awesome out there, kid!" Seb just looked up at him, his face beaming.

"Really?"

Aaron nodded, his face written with pride all over it. 

"How about we go and get a curry?" Aaron asked, and that instantly lit a glow in Seb's eyes. He nodded profusely, and Aaron tried to hide his chuckle.

"Good, it's my way of saying sorry, okay? I never should have yelled at you this morning." He said

Seb just turned up to face him, smiling widely.

"Well, I would never say no," he replied

* * *

As soon as Seb and Aaron walked through the door an hour later, the smell of freshly baked lasagna came wafting into Aaron's nostrils.

They walked through the door into the living room of the mill, and Aaron's heart dropped at the sight of Conner working away in the kitchen. He was standing by the sink, doing the dishes for a meal that Aaron could only have guessed, would have taken him hours.

As soon as they entered, Conner turned to face them. His face was lit up, and Aaron thought that he must be thinking they were so solid right now. 

They'd only just made up earlier that day; to him, they were on a fresh slate. Now Aaron had gone and messed it all up again, and the other man wasn't even aware of it.

Aaron could barely look at him, the guilt now chewing him up inside. His stomach was churning, and he had to plaster a smile on his face, forcing himself to pretend he was happy to see the other man. He didn't want to give him any cause to think something was wrong.

But the other man looked at them then, and his face fell a moment later. His eyes drifted to the takeaway containers grasped tightly in Seb's hands. Aaron realised then why Conner now looked so caught off guard.

There was a lasagne in the oven.

Oh fuck, that's just the icing on the cake, isn't it? Aaron thought to himself.

"Shit, Conner. I had no idea that you were cooking. If I had I..." Aaron drifted off, he didn't know what to say. His thoughts were driving him mad at this point.

Conner looked down to the floor, pulling the tea towel off of his shoulder, slapping it onto the dining table in contempt.

"It's fine. I wanted to surprise the two of you. But it's okay. We can have it for lunch tomorrow or something."

Aaron couldn't help but look at Conner sadly, the anguish he was feeling now starting to tear him up inside. He tried to bottle it up though, not wanting to display any of his emotions for Conner to see. If he had it wasn't going to take long for Conner to see right through him.

Seb was standing next to Aaron still, clutching his curry to his chest as if it meant the world to him. He saw the smirk on the young boys face. He rolled his eyes, god Seb just had to dig the knife in, didn't he?

But he looked up and saw the knowing look on Aaron's face. He knew then that he'd got the message not to push it any further. They were all walking on thin ice here.

"We got you a curry?" Seb said, holding up one of the containers for Conner to see. Conner looked at him for a moment, smirking before he walked over and sat himself down on the sofa. Aaron smiled, glad to see that Seb was trying to make an effort, neither of them wanting a repeat of their argument that morning.

They then all settled down around the coffee table, opening the curries. There was a moment of silence, before Conner leaned in, kissing Aaron on the shoulder. Aaron tried to hide his gulp, as he turned to look at his fiance. He was smiling at him with so much love in his eyes that Aaron thought he was physically about to burst.

Oh god, what had he done?

They both ignored Seb as he pretended to gag, as Conner moved in to kiss Aaron. He forced a smile onto his face as they broke away.

"Gosh, can you at least stop being so soppy?" Seb begged after a moment, and Aaron couldn't help but smile, turning to his son who just had a cheeky grin. The boy always managed to put a smile on his face, even when he wasn't trying to.

"Shut it you," Aaron said, and Seb just smirked. "You know you're not as funny as you think you are," he told him, to which he just got a shrug in response.

"Rob thinks I am," he said as he shoved a spoonful of chicken tikka masala into his gob. Aaron gulped, his nerves starting to get the better of him at the mere mention of Robert's name.

Conner decided to change the subject then, throwing an arm over Aaron's shoulder.

"So, how was the rest of your day? After I left you?" he asked, and apprehension started to settle in his stomach. 

God, what if he could tell just from looking at me? Aaron thought to himself.

He tried to think of something to say quickly, knowing 'I went and shagged my ex' probably wouldn't have gone over well in the grand scheme of things.

He shrugged, looking down at his container of curry.

"I just went back to the yard. Nothing too interesting," he told his fiance, and the man just nodded, an intent look on his face as he listened to what Aaron was saying.

"Well did you get a lot done?" he asked, and Aaron gulped again, guessing his face was probably giving him away. But Conner just continued to look at him expectantly, a loving gaze still etched into his features.

"Yeah, a few things," Aaron settled for, and Conner seemed to be happy with the response as he leaned in closer to Aaron, tucking him into his side as he wrapped his arm further around his shoulders.

Aaron leaned forward quickly, switching on the television, happy to have some kind of distraction. 

But as the pictures flashed across the screen, Aaron found his thoughts were drifting again. It was blonde hair clutched between his fingers, pale and freckled skin flush against his, panting, heavy breathing, the smell of sweat-soaked ecstasy continuing to consume him.

It was the intimacy he had been craving for the past ten years.

He'd done it. He'd let Robert back into his thoughts, and now he wasn't leaving.

* * *

His breathing was heavy as Aaron ran along the road. It was cold out, and he could see his breath coming out in puffs as he tried to gather his thoughts.

Aaron was conflicted, his mind thinking back to the day before when he had been with Robert. It had felt so amazing, so intoxicating that now he couldn't get the man out of his head. 

But then there was Conner; the man he still loved, the man he owed his happiness to.

Conner had pulled him back from a dark place, and even though he had felt so in tune with Robert, he knew he couldn't just leave his fiance. He needed to be with him. He owed it to Conner to try. 

Robert may have been his life once upon a time, but now he needed to be a memory.

As he approached the village, his feet hitting the pavement as he glided along the road, he managed to see Liv getting out of her car. She saw him and smiled, and as soon as Aaron was close, he came to a stop beside her.

"You alright?" she asked him, and he managed to nod as he clutched his stomach, the wind having been knocked out of him due to how fast he had been going.

"Yeah," he said with a puff. She nodded as she saw the trickle of sweat travel down his temple. She looked at him worriedly then as she realised how much he had been pushing himself.

"You sure?" she asked, double-checking. He stood up tall then, choosing to give her a deadpan look. She nodded, knowing not to push it any further.

"I just saw Rob coming out of the cafe. He had a face like a wet weekend as well," she said, curious now. Aaron raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was getting at. She sighed in annoyance.

"I know you haven't been right since he showed up. Will you just talk to me?" she asked. Liv was right, and Aaron had managed to avoid having this conversation with her for a long time now. He knew that out of everyone in his life, Liv would be the one to see right through him.

"You've been avoiding me ever since I drove him back to the village, I know you have!" she said pointedly, and Aaron shook his head quickly, snapping his head to look at her with a perplexed look on his face.

"No I haven't!" he said in defense of himself, but she just gave him a knowing look.

"I haven't had a decent conversation with you in weeks," she said and Aaron looked away, sighing deeply as he placed his hands on his hips. He moved his hand up to scratch his forehead as he realised that maybe she was right. 

"Well...I'm sorry," He said, relenting finally. She just looked at him sadly.

"Is it because I drove him here? I'm the reason he's back?" she asked, and he sighed, shaking his head. "I was just so happy to see him, Aaron. I'm sorry, I didn't think about how it would affect you,"

He just shook his head, 

"He would've just come back another way. You just got him here faster," Aaron said, his voice soft. Liv just looked at him, her face still etched in worry.

He hated upsetting her, but a part of him had been holding it against her for bringing Robert back. But he knew that it wasn't her fault, and a part of him instantly felt guilty. He sighed deeply, looking at Liv and gesturing for her to come closer so he could give her a hug.

"I'm sorry I made you think that I was avoiding you. You know I couldn't live without you," he reassured her, and he rubbed her shoulder. She moved away after a moment, smiling up at him.

"I know," she said with a laugh and Aaron just looked at her and smirked. Liv sighed deeply as she watched Aaron closely. 

Suddenly his phone started to ring in his pocket. He fumbled around for a bit, looking for the device before he finally pulled it out. His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the name on the screen.

Robert.

He couldn't talk to him. Not now, after what they had done.

Aaron declined the call, then looked back up at Liv who was looking at him suspiciously now, having seen the name pop up on his phone. 

"You will tell me if there is anything going on though right?" she asked him, and he gulped. There was a part of him wanted to tell her the truth, but he knew it was best if he just stayed silent.

He was already disappointed in himself, he didn't need her to be as well. 

So he lied.

"Everything's fine," he told her, shrugging his shoulders as he said it, popping his phone back into his pocket before he looked over to the b&b. His breathing was heavy. He didn't know what he was feeling at that moment.

She didn't look like she believed him one bit, her brow furrowed as she watched him closely.

"Alright," she said slowly. Aaron figured she was choosing not to push the subject, knowing she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him.

He plastered a smile on his face as he looked at her, itching to get a move on now. He knew they would get another chance to talk later, but right now he was way too flustered.

"I better get going. Need to run another 2 kilometers to reach my target," he said. She sighed deeply as she nodded, that worried expression still on her face.

"Okay, but take it easy yeah?" she said, and he nodded, giving her a reassuring smile before getting back into his run.

He knew he was a mess. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

Robert was sitting in the restaurant downstairs at the b&b, his mind running away with him as he thought back to the day before.

Aaron.

His Aaron.

They'd reconnected, they'd been so close to each other, their bodies had collided together in ways that Robert had only ever dreamed about in the last ten years.

He still couldn't believe that it had actually happened.

He felt so elated, the memory still so fresh in his mind. 

But he also felt confused. Because as soon as they had finished, Aaron had got dressed and left him wondering what the heck it all meant. He didn't want to push Aaron, knowing he was still with Conner. But surely this meant something? The fact that it had happened, and had still been just as amazing as it used to be, even after all this time? That had to mean that they belonged together, that nothing should be able to stand in their way.

He'd tried calling him, wanting to know what the other man was thinking, but it had only gone to voicemail.

He didn't know what to do. Should he just wait until he came to him? Should he ask him what it all meant?

Robert was scared. He had no idea what was running through Aaron's mind, and that had been something he'd always been good at, knowing exactly what Aaron was thinking. Now he was in new territory, and the ball was completely in Aaron's court.

Just then, Victoria made her way over to his table and seated herself down in front of him. She had a smile etched across her face, 

"How are you?" she asked him, and he just nodded his head in response, plastering a smile onto his face.

He wondered if he should tell her about what had happened between him and Aaron, but then a part of him realised that that probably wasn't a good idea. 

He didn't want to get his hopes up, and Aaron was still very much with Conner.

So he stayed quiet.

"I want your opinion on something?" she asked, and he gave her a quizzical look. She stared at him for a moment, a nervous expression on her face.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"I was thinking about renting this cottage," she said, as she brought up a listing on her phone. He was surprised as he leaned in to get a closer look at the place. 

"Where is it?" he asked her, and she smiled softly.

"Just outside the village," she said, and he gave her a questionable look.

"What about your place in Port Isaac?" he asked, and she sat back in her seat as she looked down at the listing. She bit her bottom lip as if she was thinking. It took a moment before she looked up at him again.

"I think I want to stick around," She said. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. He knew why he wanted to stay in Emmerdale, but he hadn't expected that Vic would want to leave her place in Cornwall to move back here. 

"What about Diane?" Robert asked, and Vic sighed,

"I called her last night. I suggested the idea, and she almost seemed pleased by it," she explained. 

"Really?"

Vic nodded again, smiling sadly at him then. "I know she's always missed being here. I felt like I forced her to move with me all those years ago," Vic explained. Robert furrowed his brow at this.

"You didn't force her to do anything, she wanted to support you. You'd been through a massive ordeal, Vic..." 

"So what do you think of the idea?" she cut him off. Robert sighed at her response, realising then that she refused to talk about what happened whenever the subject was brought up. He knew he didn't want to push her though so he just answered her question.

"I think it's a great idea. How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since we got here," she admitted, and Robert smiled.

"Anyone, in particular, have anything to do with that?" he asked coyly. He noticed then that her cheeks were now flushed red. She laughed as she shook her head.

"No, we're just mates. I promise," she said. Robert nodded, not believing her for one second. She looked at him then, her face turning more serious.

"Speaking of love lives," she started, staring at Robert expectantly now. "How are things going with Aaron?" he sighed because he had been dreading this question.

He didn't say that they had slept together. He wasn't planning to either. But that meant that Robert literally had no idea what to say in response to her question.

His gut was telling him though, that maybe it just wasn't going to happen, especially now when Aaron refused to even pick up his phone calls.

He looked down at the ring on his finger, twisting it for a second before he shrugged.

"We're just mates, I guess," Robert stated. He tried to gather his thoughts as they turned to the day before. He thought of Aaron moaning in pleasure beneath him one minute and then storming out on him the next.

Robert had no idea what any of it meant. 

"He's with Conner," he said. Vic just looked at him sadly, reaching a hand over to comfort him. 

"You just have to give it some time," she said, and Robert scoffed

"Face it, he doesn't want some prison scum like me," 

"Don't say that!" she snapped, her face now filled with worry as she looked intently at her brother. He just shrugged.

"It's the truth" he stated. This time Vic made him look at her, moving her hand to his chin, forcing him to lift it up.

"It isn't and you can't give up," she said. Robert just looked at her, his face deadpan.

But all he felt was rejection. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

Aaron was parked up by a large grassy field, his mind continuing to wander as he leaned over a fence. His breathing was heavy, as he tried to catch his breath.

He still couldn't get Robert out of his head. And the run hadn't been helping like he'd hoped it would. 

His phone buzzed, letting him know that he'd just received a text. He grabbed his phone then saw that it was a message from Conner.

Conner: You'd gone for your run before I woke up. Just heading to work now. I hope you have a good day xx.

He screwed his eyes shut in anguish as he read the text. It was a simple text but it only managed to bring home what he had done with Robert; how it had felt so right, but was also so wrong.

"Yo, slacker!" he heard a yell coming from a few feet away from him, and he snapped his head to see Adam approaching him. He had a smile on his face as he walked closer, but then he could see the anxious look on Aaron's face and it was quickly replaced with concern.

"You alright bro?" he asked him, finally coming to stand next to him. Aaron closed his eyes as he leaned back over the fence, planting his arms under his chin as he stared out at the field.

"I really wish people would stop asking me that," he said, and Adam nodded, patting him on the back in support.

"Come on, tell me what's up," Adam said, and Aaron just sighed deeply, refusing to say anything. But Adam knew him, and he should have expected that he would've been able to guess.

"Robert?' he asked, and Aaron gulped, standing up to look at his best mate. He still didn't say anything, but the look on his face confirmed Adam's suspicions.

"Your heads mashed because you don't know if you want to be with Robert or Conner," he stated, and Aaron just screwed his eyes shut, knowing Adam could see right through him.

"No...I...I want to be with Conner," Aaron told him, and Adam just nodded, patting Aaron on the shoulder. He gave him a knowing look.

"Mate, who are you trying to convince here? Me...or yourself?" Adam asked, and Aaron just looked at him, an unreadable look on his face. He gulped and then just stared out at the open field again. 

He didn't say anything for a moment.

"I'm just shocked Robert's back, mate. I'll be fine," he told the other man. Adam just stared at him, nodding his head as his worried expression still stayed planted on his face.

"Okay," he said, accepting Aaron's statement, knowing he wouldn't be able to push him to admit his true feelings.

Aaron gulped again, then plastered a smile onto his face.

"What's happening with you and Vic?" he asked, changing the subject. Adam knew that that was what he was trying to do, but he relented anyway.

"We're fine. Going for a coffee later today," he admitted, and Aaron looked chuffed for him.

"That's great mate," he told him. Adam smiled at his best mate, slapping a hand onto his shoulder.

"Come on bro, we have work to do," he said. Aaron smirked,

"Can't a guy just slack off for half an hour?" he asked, Adam laughed then.

"Mate, you've been slacking off the past two years!" 

They then ventured towards the scrapyard, carrying on with the day's work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys. Back with another chapter! Yay! Thanks again for all your support.
> 
> A bit of a slower chapter but vital in terms of knowing how they're both feeling after the event...
> 
> In the next chapter, let's just say Robert's memories of prison start to unravel. More robron interaction coming up too!
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!


	11. Let me into your world, I want to know you.

It was quickly approaching Christmas, and Robert hadn't had a proper conversation with Aaron in what felt like a lifetime. They couldn't help but run into each other often, it was a small village after all, but Robert knew that every time Aaron had spotted him, he purposely went and turned the other way.

He figured as much when every time he would walk into the cafe, and Aaron was sitting down for his morning coffee, as soon as he would see Robert, he would get up and walk out.

Every time he walked into the pub, Aaron found a way to wander off into the backroom.

Every time he dropped Seb off at the Mill, he'd ring the bell and Aaron would just buzz their son through the door, refusing to even come and meet him outside.

It was getting harder and harder to ignore. Aaron was finding any means possible to avoid him, their civil relationship for Seb's sake being thrown out the window.

Robert hated it, and he was getting more and more frustrated every time it was made obvious.

Whenever Robert would arrive at work for the day, Aaron would go straight out into the scrapyard to get on with his days work. Jimmy would later tell him that Aaron would only go inside again when he had gone out for his lunch break.

It was getting ridiculous. He just wanted to talk to him.

He'd received the message loud and clear by this point. Their moment of passion had meant nothing. It was a fleeting moment that had been over not long after it had begun.

And now they had ruined any chances they could have had to maintain any kind of friendship.

Robert didn't want to take it back though. Because, even if it hadn't meant anything to his husband, it had meant everything to him.

Currently, Robert was standing outside the cafe during his lunch break, coffee cup in hand, just about to head back to the portacabin. He had only been gone half an hour before his phone rang suddenly. He groaned when he saw it was Nicola, then begrudgingly held the device to his ear.

"I'm on lunch, can it wait?" he asked, his voice laced with annoyance. He heard Nicola fumbling about on the other end of the line, and he tried not to roll his eyes when she didn't say anything for a moment.

"Hello?" he said, and Nicola sighed deeply,

"I need you asap," she begged, and it was Robert's turn to sigh now.

"I'm almost done. What's so urgent?"

"I need to go and pick Carl up from school. He's been acting up again," she said. Robert looked at his watch and cleared his throat.

"Well, I don't see why that means I have to rush back," he said. Nicola scoffed on the other end of the line.

"I figured you would have forgotten. We have a client coming to discuss a contract in twenty minutes" she stated and Robert closed his eyes in defeat, the whole thing having skipped his mind. He had been too focused on his own issues, that he'd completely forgotten about his job.

"Okay, well I'll be there as soon as I can,"

"Thank you," she said quickly before she hung up.

Robert quickly pocketed his phone, then placed his near-empty coffee cup on one of the outside tables. He didn't have a car, so his only option was to run.

He knew then that as soon as he had saved up enough, a vehicle would be the first thing on his list of things to buy.

By the time he had made it around the corner of the scrapyard, he could see a couple standing outside the portacabin, waiting for him to arrive.

As he walked past, he locked eyes with Aaron for a brief moment, the other man dismantling what looked like a washing machine. He was in his own world though, because as soon as their gazes met, it only took a second for him to look away again.

Robert tried not to think about it though, knowing he needed to focus on the customers who looked like they were starting to get impatient.

"Robert?" the man asked, as he got closer. He nodded as he extended his hand out to the man, trying to catch his breath as he quickly gestured for the couple to follow him into the portacabin. 

"I hope you weren't waiting long," he told the couple, and they just nodded, not saying anything in response. He knew that offering up excuses at this point probably wouldn't help.

He was flustered as he walked to the other side of his desk, rifling through a number of different files to find what he was looking for. He placed his cell phone on the desk in front of the customers.

"We have all our documentation ready. We spoke to Nicola over the phone this morning." the man said, extending out a file for Robert to take. He smiled as he grabbed it, quickly looking through it to see that everything checked out.

"So you need us to deliver everything by next week?" Robert asked, trying to ensure no wrong wires were being crossed. This was the first time dealing with an actual client since he'd been released. He didn't want to mess it up, otherwise, Nicola was sure to wring his neck.

"We have a very tight schedule, so nothing can go wrong," the woman said. Robert looked at her and smiled.

He didn't know what was wrong with him. The old Robert knew exactly what to do in these situations. He would put on the charm, and make everybody's day just a little bit better. He'd obviously lost his touch, and now he was just a nervous wreck.

"I'm sure we can make that happen. Can I get you a tea or a coffee?" he asked. They both just stared at him, and Robert realised they didn't seem like the type to make small talk.

"We've been to a number of places around the Dales, and you came back with the cheapest quote. We want to make sure we can trust everything will be delivered in one piece," the man said, his voice sounding skeptical.

He noticed them looking around the portacabin, obviously not impressed with the place. Robert could see their uncertainty as clear as day. God, he needed to come up with a way to turn this around.

Just then, his phone started to ring. Robert's heart plummeted when he realised the contact that had come up on the screen, right in front of the customer's faces.

His parole officer.

He could see the woman's eyes shoot up to the roof, and in that minute he knew it was over.

"Sorry," Robert said, grabbing his phone quickly so they could no longer see it.

Just then, Aaron walked into the portacabin, and it was like he could sense how flustered he was, as he looked between Robert and the clients with concern on his face.

"Everything alright?" Aaron asked, but the couple still refused to say anything, the woman still looking down at where Robert's phone had started to ring.

"I think it's best we find another haulage." the man said after a moment, and Robert gulped. God, this was all his fault.

"Please, I'm sure we can work something out. We're a reputable business. I have testimonials you can read. Just give us a chance," Robert said, his face almost desperate now. How was he going to tell Nicola that he had lost them a contract?

The woman just sighed deeply, and Robert tried not to meet Aaron's concerned gaze from the other side of the room. This was embarrassing enough as it was, he didn't need his husband witnessing everything at the same time.

"I think you'll find there are many haulage firms out there, where we wouldn't be dealing with ex-convicts like yourself," she said, her chin high in the air as she tapped her counterpart on the shoulder, gesturing for him to leave the portacabin.

Robert's gut churned at the comment. He didn't know what he was feeling, but his heart had plummeted deep into his gut, and he felt like he was going to vomit. He knew it was best to give up then as he watched the couple leave.

He fell back into his chair in defeat, unable to look away from the file that was still open in front of him.

This was how it was always going to be, wasn't it?

His time in prison was going to follow him around for the rest of his life. It was going to be like a rotten smell he could never get rid of.

He may have been released but he was never going to be free.

He was an ex-convict, and a prison thug, and a no good for anything piece of...

He still refused to look at Aaron who he could tell was still staring at him from his own desk. He couldn't face him though, not now.

"You alright?" he asked him after a moment, but Robert didn't respond. He just gulped as he grabbed hold of the file in front of him.

It was only a moment before Robert clenched his teeth, tearing the file in half before tossing it into the bin by his desk.

"Rob?" Aaron asked, and he could almost hear the desperation in the other man's voice.

He hadn't noticed a tear fall down his cheek before Aaron had come over to his desk. He tried to ignore the looming presence above him, but it was too hard. He couldn't take it as he stormed up from his desk a moment later.

He forced his way past Aaron, the other man shocked as Robert stamped out of the portacabin and out into the scrapyard.

"Robert, what are you doing?" Aaron begged,

He could tell he had followed him out, the other man watching him as he moved over to where the washing machine was, the one that Aaron had been wrecking earlier. His brain was throbbing against the inside of his skull, his blood boiling over as he continued to picture the judging stares he'd received from those bitchy clients.

He hated this. He hated everything.

Prison thug. Convict. Trash.

He continued to grit his teeth as he kicked the machine as hard as he possibly could. He let out a massive roar of anger as he continued to throttle it, over and over.

Just then he felt Aaron pull him back, the other man's hands firmly around his shoulders.

"Are you insane?" the other man yelled, and Robert was finally forced to turn and look at him.

"No, No.... don't you get it?" Robert said, his voice shrouded in irony. "I'm not insane, Aaron. No...I'm a convicted criminal!" Aaron continued to look at him with concern etched across his face.

Robert was laughing hysterically now.

"Not even that," he said, "I'm a convicted murderer!"

Aaron didn't say anything, he just continued to stare at his ex-husband, wishing he could console him in some way.

"You're not a bad person, Robert," he said, trying to get the other man to see sense. Robert just threw his hands behind his head, the tears now pouring down his face. He refused to look at Aaron, now not taking his eyes off the portacabin in front of him.

"Robert, you're not. You have to believe that!" Aaron said, and this time Robert looked at him and just scoffed.

"That's a load of shit, not even you want anything to do with me at this point," Robert said, and Aaron furrowed his brow.

"That's not true!" he snapped, but Robert just ignored him.

"You don't want me, you don't want to be with some prison scum like me," he said, and Aaron screwed his eyes shut. He didn't know if he could carry on hearing Robert talk about himself like this.

"You need to stop talking like that. Prison doesn't dictate who you are!" Aaron yelled, and Robert just shook his head.

"Then why are you avoiding me?" Robert asked, a pointed look on his face as he stared directly at the other man. Aaron looked like he was silently berating himself, as he slowly moved closer to Robert.

"I haven't been avoiding you..." he told him, and Robert just scoffed,

"Don't lie to me," he said coldly, and Aaron just looked at him.

"Not for the reason's you think!" Robert just nodded, his face now disbelieving as he turned away again.

"Well, one can only guess it's because we fucked!" Robert yelled, and Aaron screwed his eyes shut.

"We banged, we fucked, we had a roll in the hay as some people would say, just like old times!" Robert yelled. Aaron flinched at Robert's words.

He was clenching his jaw now. He had no idea what to say at that moment.

"But it meant nothing to you," Robert stated coldly, turning away to kick a stray pebble. Aaron snapped his head to look at his husband, so fast he almost got whiplash.

"It meant something!" Aaron admitted. But Robert showed no reaction.

"You still regret it though," he told him, and Aaron looked away again.

"I'm with Conner," he said, and Robert just smirked, now looking back toward Aaron with tears in his eyes.

"Golden boy. Never put a hair out of place in his life,"

"Robert, I'm trying to help you," Aaron said, trying to get the other man to calm down. But he was so flustered Aaron didn't know what to do. "Tell me how I can help you," he begged.

"You can start by not avoiding me," Robert admitted. Aaron gulped and nodded his head.

"I just..." 

"What?" Robert asked, tears still pouring freely down his cheeks.

"I feel guilty," Aaron stated, "It can't happen again, Robert. We're no good for each other."

Robert rolled his eyes then, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I'll keep my hands off," he stated, and Aaron nodded, sighing deeply as he looked down to his feet.

"It was a one-off," Aaron told him, and Robert just nodded, wiping his eyes now, which were red, raw and puffy.

"Yeah, we always say that, but that's never really what happens." Robert said, "Speaking from experience,"

Aaron smirked, "Well this time, it needs to"

Robert nodded, kicking another pebble after a moment.

"You alright?" Aaron asked, and Robert just sniffed, seemingly a lot calmer now. He looked up at his husband and nodded.

"You know you can talk to me...about prison," Aaron told him, thinking back to the massive scar he had seen on Robert's collar bone. Robert didn't say anything, he just nodded, and held his hands firmly in the pockets of his jeans.

"Not exactly a can of worms I want to open," he admitted, and Aaron tried not to feel disappointed. He could tell that Robert was holding onto something horrible that had happened, and the only way he was ever going to feel free was if he would just tell someone about it.

It had worked for Aaron, and now he just wanted to be there for the other man.

But he already knew something; that prison had changed Robert - there was no denying it. There was now darkness lurking inside of him that wasn't going away any time soon.

"I need to call my parole officer," Robert said after a moment, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Aaron just nodded as Robert wandered back towards the portacabin, slowly and surely. Aaron tried to keep the worried expression off his face as he watched him.

This wasn't his Robert. 

This was barely even a shadow of him.

* * * 

It was a few hours later when Robert walked into the pub. Seb had been sitting with Aaron and Chas at the bar when he saw his father walk in. He instantly perked up.

"Dad!" Seb cheered, and Robert smiled widely as his son quickly got up to greet him.

Aaron watched on, and the sight seemed to warm his heart slightly. He had seen a more vulnerable side to Robert earlier that day, and now he knew the man just needed some love from his son.

His thoughts had started to calm down, their chat earlier managing to settle some of the nerves he had been feeling. Now they at least had an understanding between them.

They were just friends. Nothing more.

But Aaron couldn't help but still worry about the man. He'd gone through a massive ordeal, and now he was refusing to let it see the light of day, whatever it was.

If he didn't talk to Aaron, he needed to talk to someone.

He pulled out his phone and texted Victoria that he wanted to meet.

She replied a moment later, saying to meet her at her room at the B&B.

He smiled fondly as Seb seemed happy to hang out with his dad for a bit. He turned to Chas a moment later, who was also grinning at the duo on the other side of the pub.

"Hey, mum. I'm just gonna head out for a bit. You'll keep an eye out for Seb?" he asked. She nodded with a big smile,

"Looks like he should be fine," she stated, and Aaron smiled, getting up from his stool before heading out of the pub.

It didn't take him long before he was knocking on Vic's door. She opened it a moment later, a curious and concerned look on her face.

"What's up?" she asked, and he sighed deeply, not knowing what to say.

"It's about Robert, can I come in?" he asked her. She nodded quickly, as she let him past and into her room.

"Is he okay?" she asked behind him, as he stood in the center of the bedroom. Aaron turned to face her and could see the worry on her face, but he knew she needed to know what was going on with her brother.

"He had a bit of a breakdown," he said, and her eyes opened wide in shock almost straight away.

"What? When?" she asked, and Aaron sighed deeply.

"Today, at the scrapyard. Some client found out he had been in prison, they canceled their contract, and it was..." he paused, thinking back to earlier that day when he had seen the sudden anguish in his ex's eyes.

"What? Aaron, tell me," she begged,

"It was like a switch just flipped inside him, Vic," Aaron told her, and she screwed her eyes up in worry.

"What did he do?" 

"He just got really angry and started beating up some of the metal in the scrapyard. I thought he was going to break a leg or something."

"Oh god," she said. "I knew he was putting on a front. He's been acting like he's fine for too long,"

"He won't tell me what happened to him in there Vic, but it must have been something terrible," he told her. She just nodded and sighed deeply.

"I'll talk to him," she said. Aaron nodded, "Thank you for telling me,"

Aaron just shrugged, as he looked down at his ex-sister-in-law.

"I care about him, Vic." 

She smiled at him, "I know you do," she said as she then pulled him into a hug.

Aaron felt a little bit better knowing that Victoria was going to try and talk to him.

He knew Robert wasn't okay. He just wanted to see him be able to live a happy and carefree life. He was holding on to so many demons, he just needed to talk to somebody.

He wished Robert would just talk to him, but he knew that wasn't really his place anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, you guys liked this chapter!
> 
> So sorry about the long wait for this. I've had a stressful few weeks at work and have only just had a chance to sit down and think about how I wanted this to go.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> The next chapter will involve some more insight into Robert's time in prison. So interesting things coming up, and a whole lot more robron as well :)


	12. Something's got to give.

It had been a few days since Robert's breakdown at the scrapyard, and Aaron had tried to contain the worry he had for the other man. He always wanted to know how he was, but he knew if he was going to open up to anyone, it had to be his sister. Aaron wished he could be the one to help him, but it wasn't his right to be that person to Robert anymore, not when he had a fiance waiting for him at home.

It was almost noon, and after making his way up to the loft of the mill and bringing down a number of dusty boxes, Aaron was lifting them out of his car and heaving them towards the little cottage that he was now parked in front of. Seb was wandering around excitedly, helping to bring in some of the smaller boxes, and Aaron tried not to laugh at the pure joy etched across his son's face. 

As they entered through the front door of the cottage, Robert was inside, standing behind the sofa that had come with the flat. Vic was upstairs currently, but it was only another moment before she came pandering down the stairs.

"Oh, Aaron! You're amazing!" she said, and Aaron placed a small smile on his features. He looked over to Robert who was also smiling with a thankful expression on his face. Aaron then placed the box he was holding onto the ground in front of him.

"It looks great Vic," Aaron said, looking around at the place. It was quaint and cute. It had Victoria written all over it. She was definitely going to be happy here. Seb was next to Aaron, his whole face lit up in amazement as he looked at his father's new cottage. 

"Yeah, I love it," Vic said a moment later, also looking around, admiring the small cottage as if it was home. Because that's what it was now, home.

"Thanks for bringing over my stuff," Robert said then, and Aaron turned to look at him. He shrugged softly, the smile still not leaving his face as he stared back at the other man.

"Figured I've been holding on to it long enough," Aaron said.

"Can I open some of the boxes?" Seb asked, obviously curious about what he was going to find on the inside, so many hidden treasures that told the story of his father. He'd never even known what the boxes were, but now that he did know, he just wanted to see what he could find that would tell him about the life Robert used to live. Robert laughed softly, nodding his head as he grabbed a box cutter and made his way over to his son. 

"Yeah mate. Let's see what we've got in here."

"There's not a whole lot to unpack yet," Vic explained, as Aaron moved further into the cottage.

"I mean it doesn't look like you need a lot," he stated, seeing the fully furnished place in its full glory. Vic laughed but nodded in agreement.

"Well, Diane is coming up on a flight tomorrow, and she's said she will ship a few things up," she explained and Aaron nodded. He looked back over to Seb and Robert who were rifling through the boxes, excitement shooting across the young boy's face every time he found something interesting.

"What's this?" Seb said with a laugh, pulling out an old tacky Christmas jumper - a red one with a hood that looked like a Santa suit. Aaron could see Robert's brow furrow as he looked at the jumper, and he felt a jolt of pain shoot to his heart at the same time. The other man turned to look at Aaron, and he could see the hurt look on Robert's face. Seb didn't seem to notice though as he waited excitedly for an explanation.

"Nothing mate, just a silly tradition me and your Dad used to have," Robert said, taking the hoodie from the boy's hands and setting it down gently on the sofa.

Aaron tried to ignore the palpitations he'd felt in his chest as a result of Robert's words, but he couldn't help but feel the subtle sting. It had never been silly. It had been their tradition - no matter how silly it may have seemed. The only reason Aaron even stored it away was that it used to stab him in the heart every time he would see the jumper. He brushed it off though, not wanting Robert to see the hurt he was feeling. 

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked around, trying to find some use of himself.

"What are you going to do for Christmas?" Seb asked Robert a moment later, and Aaron looked over curiously. Robert just grinned down at the boy, shrugging softly.

"I haven't really thought about it mate," Robert replied and Seb looked at him gleefully.

"You should come celebrate with the Dingles!" Seb suggested, and both Aaron and Robert looked at each other. Aaron looked away quickly, not knowing what to say, but Robert seemed to speak for the both of them as he turned back to look at his son.

"I guess we'll see buddy. We might just have some Christmas dinner in the pub or something." 

Aaron could see the slightly disappointed look on his son's face then. He hated seeing that look.

"You'll still get to spend heaps of time with him though," Aaron said, and Seb turned to smile at him.

"Well good, because I want to see you in a dorky Christmas sweater like that one!" Seb said, and Robert looked away laughing.

"Only if you wear one as well," he told him and Seb just smirked, shaking his head quickly.

"No, it'll ruin my street cred."

"What street cred? You're 12," Robert said with a smirk laced beneath his words. Seb just looked up at him and shrugged.

"You can never start too young," he said, and Robert and Aaron just turned to look at each other, both of them trying to refrain from laughing.

They got back to unpacking a few more of the boxes, getting into a rhythm now, and Robert kept finding things that made him more and more nostalgic. He and Seb were rifling through another box while Aaron was on the other side of the room, putting a few things into their place.

Vic came to stand by him a moment later.

"You alright?" Vic asked him, and he looked at her and nodded softly.

"Yeah, you?" he asked, and she smiled, but Aaron could sense that it wasn't really meeting her eyes.

"Conner know you're here?" Vic asked, and Aaron looked away, clearing his throat.

"He's at work. So even if he did, not as if it would affect him." Vic just nodded at his response, but Aaron could see the skeptical look on her face.

"Nice," she said. Aaron chose to not respond, wanting to continue unpacking the box on the ground beneath him.

He looked back at her a moment later and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"Have you spoken to him yet?" he asked her, and they both quickly glanced back to Robert who looked like he was having a great time looking through an old photo album that he'd found. Aaron stared back at Vic and he could see the worried look on her face.

"I haven't had a chance to," she admitted, and Aaron nodded, taking in a big breath of air. Vic turned back to face him and shrugged.

"I'm really worried. I can tell he's bottling stuff up, but he seems completely fine," she explained. Aaron nodded, standing up straight and looking directly at her.

"He always makes out that he's okay when he's not. I've known that about him as long as I've known him," Aaron told her. Vic just nodded, sighing deeply.

"I'll talk to him, don't worry," she promised, and Aaron smiled softly at her. He placed a reassuring arm on her shoulder before he then went back to unpacking. In the corner of his eye, he could see the worried look on Vic's face as she continued to stare across the room at her brother.

* * *

It was a bit later in the night, and Aaron had taken Seb home for his dinner. It had been great that he had stayed and helped them unpack, Robert and Aaron finally on good enough terms to be considered friends now, at least.

Vic was in the kitchen, stirring a mug of hot tea, as she stared through the hole in the wall which looked out into the living room. She could see Robert sitting on the sofa, his head firmly engrossed in the photo album that lay on his lap. She tried to keep the worry off her face as she slowly made her way over, taking the two cups of tea with her.

"Here you go," She said as she set the mug down in front of Robert on the coffee table.

"Oh nice, I've been gasping," he said, picking the mug up quickly and taking a sip. Victoria cautiously sat down next to her brother on the sofa, nervous about bringing up what Aaron had told her the other day. She didn't want to upset him, but she just wanted to make sure he didn't feel like he had to fake a hard man act in front of her.

"You alright?" she asked him after a moment, and he gave her a curious look, pulling the mug away from his face as he set in back down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Robert asked, and Vic swallowed the lump in her throat.

"It's just...That's not what Aaron's been telling me," she said, and she could see Robert's face fall then and there. 

"You've been talking to Aaron about me?" he asked, his tone disapproving. Vic didn't meet Robert's gaze as he continued to look at her from his side of the sofa.

"He told me about the other day...at the scrapyard. Those clients that treated you poorly because they found out you were in prison," she said slowly, and she could almost see the red hot fumes coming out of Robert's ears.

"He had no right to tell you about that,"

"Robert, I'm your sister! He was worried!" she pleaded, and he just turned away, not taking his eyes off the window which led to the back garden. "Please, I want you to talk to me. I need you to tell me how you feel," she said.

Robert just shook his head, and Vic could see the cogs turning in his head. God, what was running through his mind right now? She wished he would just open up to her. She wished she could help him. 

He refused to say anything, keeping silent as Vic continued to wait for a response. When he still didn't say anything for another moment, she tried another tactic.

"You know you can talk to me about prison. I know it mustn't have been easy," she said, and he just shook his head again, clenching his eyes together, as it looked like he was trying to push back a memory. 

"I don't want to talk about it, Vic"

"You need to talk to someone though, you can't be bottling it up like this. You can't be holding on to this anger and resentment,"

"I'm not angry or resentful of anything," Robert argued, and Vic just looked at him knowingly.

"You are with yourself. I've seen it since you were released. I know you're not happy, and it's not just because of everything with Aaron."

"You don't want to know Vic," he told her, and this just caused Vic to worry more.

"I don't want to know about what, Robert?" she begged this time, but he still didn't explain himself.

"Just drop it, please," he told her, and she could practically hear the pleading tone in his voice. She didn't want to cause him any grief, but she just needed to know that he was okay.

"You need to talk about it Robert," she said calmly, but this time all she was met with was Robert standing up in a rush, grabbing his jacket off the back of the sofa and storming out of the cottage in a fleeting panic. Vic was left looking after him, wondering what on earth had just happened.

What was so bad that he couldn't even talk to her about it?

* * *

It was only half an hour or so before there was a knock on the door of the cottage. Vic was still sitting on the sofa, still upset about her conversation, or lack there-of, with Robert. It only took a moment before the knocking on the door stopped and Adam let himself in.

It didn't take him long to notice the tears in Vic's eyes. His face instantly filled with worry as he made his way across the room to sit by her on the sofa. He pulled her into his arms quickly, and she leaned into his chest.

"What happened?" he asked her softly, and she pulled away just enough to look into Adam's eyes.

"Nothing much, just stuff with Robert," she admitted. Adam let out a deep breath.

"He alright?" he asked, and Vic let out a sniffle as she wiped away a stray tear that had made tracks down her cheek. She shrugged, and she looked into the blank space between them.

"Not really," she said, as fresh tears started to well up in her eyes again. Adam leaned forward, wiping the tears away before they could fall.

"I just wish I could help him in some way. I can tell prison was hell for him, but he refuses to talk about it," she explained. Adam sat intently as he listened to her closely. She took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself.

"He'll talk when he's ready," he tried to tell her, but she just shook her head. She believed that Robert was planning on taking whatever it was to the grave, and there was no making him crack.

"It's my fault he was even in there," she said. Adam quickly furrowed his brow.

"How do you work that out?"

"Well I'm the one he was protecting," she explained. Adam looked at her and shook his head.

"Look, it's just something terrible that happened. I know I wasn't there, but I can tell you right now, that none of it was your fault," he said, trying his best to console her. She looked up at him then and into his eyes.

"Yeah?" she said, and he nodded.

"I wish I had been there to protect you too," he said, and Vic just smiled at him sadly.

"Well you're here now," she said, another couple tears falling from her eyes. Adam smiled back at her as he then looked down at her lips.

It only took a split second for Vic to realise what she was doing as she moved forward slightly to attach her lips to his. They both breathed into the kiss, and Vic could feel her wet tears as she moved her hands to cup the sides of Adam's face. 

A moment later, Adam moved away and looked at Vic, a small smile on his face.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her, and she nodded quickly. She didn't know how long she had been wanting this. But she was so glad that it was happening now. It was a welcome distraction to what was happening with Robert.

Adam moved in close again, reigniting their kiss, and Vic accepted it.

It felt so familiar, and welcome, and warm. It felt like she was coming home. 

* * *

Aaron was just walking out of the shop when he saw Vic and Adam approaching in the dark. He looked down at the mince pies that he was so glad were finally on the market again, before looking up to greet the two of them as they came to a stop in front of him.

He instantly noticed the closeness between them and smiled when he realised what it meant.

"You alright?" he asked the two of them, and they both smiled at each other knowingly. Then he noticed, after a moment, the serious look on Vic's face, and he knew that not everything was alright as it seemed. 

"How's it going?" she asked him and he could see that she had something important to say.

"Yeah, good," he said. He knew that they couldn't go on like this with the small talk forever. Conner was waiting up for him at home, and he said that he was only going to be 10 minutes.

"I need to tell you something," she said. Adam looked between them then and knew that he should leave them to it for a moment. He then wandered off into the store, leaving both Vic and Aaron to talk.

"I'm guessing you spoke to Robert," he said, and Vic just nodded, burying her face into her jacket as the cold December breeze drifted between them.

"I couldn't get a word out of him, Aaron. He's like a brick that doesn't want to break," she said, and Aaron felt his heart plummet. This was not what he wanted to hear.

"So you think something really bad happened to him in there?" he asked her, and he could see the scared look on her face as she nodded slowly.

"I think you need to talk to him," she said, and Aaron closed his eyes firmly, knowing that this was going to come up sooner or later.

"It's not really my place too anymore," he tried to make her see sense, but he knew there was no swaying her.

"He still loves you, Aaron," she said, and Aaron's breath hitched in his throat. It wasn't something he didn't already know, but to hear Vic say it like it was the most normal thing in the world, it only knocked him for a six.

"I don't know what you want me to do," he said with a shrug, "If he won't talk to you, then he's not going to talk to me," Vic just shook her head, her breath fogging in front of her as she took a deep sigh. 

"You're probably the only person he'll talk to Aaron," she said. Aaron looked past her shoulder and into the distance. He didn't know what to think, but a part of him also knew that maybe she was right.

"So will you?" she begged, and Aaron tried to contain his jumbled thoughts as he endeavored to think of something to say. But he was just as worried about Robert as much as Vic was, and he knew he needed to help in some way or another.

He took a deep breath, looking down at Vic, whose cheeks were now red and raw from the cold, and he nodded. She smiled kindly, and she gave him a reassuring pat on the arm.

"Thank you," she said, as she quickly followed after Adam into the shop.

Aaron was then left wondering how on earth he was going to make Robert open up to him. 

* * *

It was the next morning, a Saturday morning, and Conner was up early, serving up breakfast, as Aaron wandered down the stairs. He still had Vic's words in his head from the night before, and he knew that he needed to find a time to talk to Robert as soon as possible. 

Conner smiled as soon as he saw his fiance walking into the kitchen, and quickly swanned over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"What's this?" Aaron asked, and Conner smirked.

"Bacon and eggs, duh?" Conner said, and Aaron just gave him a deadpan look. 

"I meant what's it for?" he said as he took a seat at the table. Conner stood behind him, placing his hands on Aaron's shoulders fondly. 

"Well, I can tell you've been stressed lately, so I wanted to do something nice."

"I haven't been stressed," Aaron said with a confused tone, and Conner just raised an eyebrow in response.

"Well, you've been a lot more broody lately. Not that that's not one of the qualities I love most about you," he explained with a smile, and Aaron gulped, feeling the guilt settle into his stomach again.

He knew why he'd been so broody. He'd been that way ever since he and Robert had shagged. They might have been on better terms now, but that hadn't taken away from the fact that he'd cheated.

He'd been silently berating himself when Conner sat down next to him at the table, placing his own breakfast in front of him. He looked at him then with an expectant look on his face.

"What?" Aaron asked quizzically as he took in a mouthful of bacon. Conner smiled and shook his head,

"I was thinking we could go an do something today?" he suggested and Aaron furrowed his brow.

"Like what?" he asked, and Conner had an excited look on his face.

"I was thinking we could go to the Christmas markets in Hotten or something," Conner said, and Aaron tried not to groan at the idea. He couldn't think of anything worse. 

He also knew that he needed to talk to Robert sooner rather than later.

"Can we maybe do it another day? I just told Seb we'd hang out today," Aaron lied, and he could see Conner's face fall.

"Oh, um... Sure. What are you planning on doing?" he asked, and Aaron gulped, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat.

"Not sure yet, but why don't you go with your sister or someone?" Aaron suggested, and Conner inhaled as he sat back into his chair.

"I just feel like we haven't really spend a whole lot of time together lately," he said. Aaron nodded and placed a reassuring hand on his fiance's shoulder.

"How about tonight? I promise," Aaron stated, and Conner nodded, relenting finally.

Aaron knew he shouldn't have lied to him. It was just easier this way, and all he could really focus on right now was making sure Robert was alright.

* * *

It didn't take long for Aaron to make his way to Robert's new cottage, it only being just outside the village. He knew that Vic wasn't going to be home, as she'd said she had to pick Diane up from the airport. 

For some reason, he felt slightly nervous, and he didn't really know why. Maybe it was the dreaded thoughts that were running through his mind of what must have happened to Robert inside. Part of him didn't want to know the truth, but he needed to make sure that the other man didn't bottle things up. He needed to make sure that he was okay.

He knocked quietly but it didn't take long before Robert answered the door a moment later. He didn't look all too happy to see him, as far as Aaron could see. He knew that Vic had mentioned that Aaron had told her about his breakdown the other day, and he knew that Robert probably wasn't all too happy with that fact. But nevertheless, he eventually moved aside to let the other man into the cottage.

"Brew?" Robert asked, and Aaron raised his eyebrows in thanks, as Robert then wandered over to the kitchen. Aaron looked around at the cottage and could see that it was slowly coming together.

He looked over to Robert in the kitchen who was working away at the cups of tea, and he felt slightly awkward just standing there in the middle of the living room. If he was being honest with himself, he had no idea where he was going with this.

It didn't take long before Robert brought the teas over to the sofa, gesturing for Aaron to sit down next to him.

"How's it going?" Aaron asked, and Robert exhaled before taking a long sip of his drink.

"I know you've spoken to Vic, so you might as well cut to the chase," he said, and Aaron just nodded in response, clasping his clammy hands together as he tried to think of what to say.

"We're just worried about you Robert," Aaron said, and the other man just smirked,

"As I told her, I'm fine," he said, and Aaron bit his bottom lip as he noticed the distant look in his ex-husband's eyes.

"I don't believe you," Aaron said, and Robert just rolled his eyes this time.

"I don't know why," he stated,

"Because I know you," 

"Not anymore," Robert said, and Aaron felt his stomach churn at the other man's words. They cut deep because a part of him knew that they were true.

"I get it," Aaron said a moment later, but Robert cut him off.

"I'm not saying it as a dig Aaron, you can't know who I am..." Robert said, and Aaron listened, 

"Why?" he asked,

"Because I don't even know who I am anymore," Robert admitted, and Aaron forced his eyes closed. 

"You really think prison could have changed you that much?" he asked, hoping to see some semblance of the man he once loved. But Robert refused to meet his eyes.

"It had to," Robert explained, and this just caused Aaron to furrow his brow in confusion. But Robert didn't say anything more, and Aaron knew he had to push for answers.

"As I told you, you can talk to me about what happened inside," he said, and Robert just sighed deeply, not taking his eyes off the tea in front of him.

"Not much to tell really, you know the score," Robert said, "You're either the leader of the pack, or you're the runt of the litter," Aaron didn't know where the other man was going with this, and he could see that tears were starting to well up in his eyes.

"Did something happen to you, Robert?" Aaron asked, his voice cautious, as he tried to gauge what was going through the other man's mind. But he just shook his head, the tears starting to make tracks down his cheeks. 

The memories looked like they were all flooding Robert's mind at once. Aaron just wished he could help, he needed the other man to just tell him what had happened during those torturous years inside. 

He moved closer to him, careful not to touch him, as he hoped he could be some kind of reassuring presence to him, in any way he could be. But Robert still stayed silent as he continued to stare at the tea in his hands. The tears were falling freely now, but he wasn't even wiping them away.

"Robert, just tell me," Aaron pleaded. Robert screwed his eyes shut, swallowing a lump in his throat as he finally looked back up to meet his gaze.

"It's nothing," he said, trying to brush it off, but Aaron wasn't having any of it.

"No, no, you don't get to do that. You don't get to push me away."

"What? Like you keep pushing me away, despite everything that's happened between us?" Robert snapped and Aaron just clenched his teeth, shaking his head as he placed a hand on Robert's shoulder.

"This isn't about me," he threatened, and Robert scoffed. Aaron quickly ran a hand through his hair and took in a deep breath. He looked back at his ex-husband abruptly,

"Robert, I saw your scar," he said, and Robert just looked away, now refusing to meet Aaron's gaze again.

"As I said, it's nothing," he told him, but Aaron just shook his head.

"That scar was not nothing," Aaron said, and the other man gulped, still not saying anything. But Aaron could see the tears still there, and he knew he couldn't give up. He wasn't going anywhere until Robert told him what happened.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me how you got that scar," Aaron said. Robert was clenching his jaw now, grinding his teeth down to knubs.

"Robert, please.." Aaron begged once more, but this time Robert snapped his head to look at him,

"I got shanked!" Robert said forcefully, catching Aaron completely off guard

"What?" Aaron said quietly, barely above a whisper, as he instantly felt tears well up in his eyes.

"And, I almost died," Robert said and Aaron's heart plummeted so hard and so fast he was almost catatonic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Another chapter up yay! Hopefully was worth the wait and you enjoyed it :)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for all the continued support for this story. I'm constantly motivated to keep writing whenever I see you're lovely comments!
> 
> The next chapter will have a whole lot of Robron interaction! :) Will hopefully have this up some time in the weekend


	13. Stop running, you can hold me now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this chapter does mention some content that could be offputting as Robert explains what he went through in prison. I just thought I would put a disclaimer. 
> 
> Otherwise, please enjoy :)

Robert could see the anguish in Aaron's eyes, the news of Robert's brush with death too much to bear for the other man. Robert didn't know what to say but instantly felt guilty and responsible for the devastated look on his ex-husbands face. This obviously wasn't news to be taken lightly, and Robert could tell that Aaron was just trying to wrap his head around it.

"What do you mean you almost died?" Aaron asked, his voice desperate as he waited for Robert to explain himself. Robert looked down at the cup of tea in his hands, not knowing how to say everything that was running through his mind. He didn't want to break Aaron's heart even more and he knew that's what would happen if he said anything. 

"Robert," Aaron begged, and Robert could hear the crack in his voice, the emotions still getting the better of him. 

Robert swallowed the lump in his throat as he thought back to his time behind bars. It had been hell; years of torment and torture that he was never going to get back. He continued to stare at the tea in his hands, knowing if he took one look at Aaron, he was just going to break down and never get any words out.

"It was okay in the beginning," Robert started, and he saw Aaron through the corner of his eye, sitting up straight, his interest piqued, as Robert started to tell his story. 

"For the first few years, I wasn't all that much of a target. People knew I was married to a man, so I'd get the odd innuendo or derogatory remark," he said, and Aaron closed his eyes firmly, knowing the feeling all too well, knowing exactly how prison could be. 

"But it was okay, nobody was all that bothered, and I managed to keep my head down," he said. He paused for a moment as he leaned forward and placed his cup of tea on the table in front of him, the liquid practically cold by this point. He moved back into the seat so he was leaning against the back of the sofa. He turned back to Aaron who was listening intently, his brow furrowed as he waited for Robert to continue.

"Four years ago though, a man named Damien was brought in," Robert said, "He'd been transferred from a high-security prison down south. I could tell he was a tough guy from the moment I met him," 

Robert breathed heavily and forced his eyes shut, it causing him anguish as he recalled the harsh lines of the man's face that he knew he would remember for the rest of his life. He had a sharp jawline, his teeth jagged, his face menacing, his eyes dark as if they had never seen any kind of happiness before. The man was his worst nightmare, and it kept him up at night thinking back to everything that had happened all those years ago.

"What happened, with this Damien?" Aaron asked, his voice filled with worry as Robert returned his gaze to the other man. He could practically see the thoughts that were swimming through his ex-husband's mind. God, he hated causing him this much distress. 

He gulped, then continued, "Our cells were next to each other," he said. He saw Aaron nodding, as he paid attention to everything that Robert was saying.

"At first he wasn't that bad. Just a smart mouth who'd heard through the grapevine about my sexuality." Robert said, as he looked down at his hands and started twisting his ring.

"One day, we were in the prison cafeteria. I'd had a long day, the prison guards were on me about something," Robert said, he shook his head though as he tried to think back to what happened. "I don't remember why anymore, I just know I was fed up and tired." 

Aaron continued to look on, his brow furrowed, his face etched in worry as he stared at the broken man beside him. 

Robert's face screwed up in distress, "Damien started mouthing off like usual. I always just ignored him, but I couldn't this day, I just remember wanting to be free of everything." 

"What was he saying?" Aaron asked, and Robert just sighed deeply, continuing to twist the ring on his finger. 

"He was calling me everything under the sun. He just kept pushing and pushing." Robert said, "Then he called me a faggot," he turned to Aaron who closed his eyes firmly, hating that word more than anything.

"What happened next?" Aaron asked, and Robert let out a sharp exhale, shaking his head quickly, wanting to block out the memory.

"I just snapped, and I punched him square in the face," Robert said, and Aaron nodded, his face now filling up with anguish. He moved forward slightly, placing a reassuring hand on Robert's thigh. 

"I'm guessing that didn't go over well," Aaron said, and Robert just turned to him and shook his head, no.

"From then on, he made it his number one priority to torment me. Day in and day out. He started pushing me against walls, pummeling me with his fists every chance he got," Robert said. Aaron took a deep sigh, and it looked like he was trying to block out the images from his mind, his eyes closed shut tightly, his grip on Robert's thigh stiffening for a split second. 

Robert could feel the tears starting to well up in his eyes, remembering the terror he felt every day, waking up and feeling scared shitless of what would happen to him when he would cross paths with Damien. He remembered all the black eyes, the bruises, the agony he felt over and over and over. 

He remembered other prisoners watching on as he was continually beaten to a pulp, knowing they couldn't help him for their own safety. Damien had well and truly been the leader of the pack, and wherever he went, he always had followers. It was hell, and there was nothing Robert could do to stop it either.

"One day," Robert started, swallowing the lump in his throat, knowing he had to get through this. "All the prisoners were out in the yard. I remember it being cold, and winter was starting to settle in. Damien was in a bad mood," he said.

Aaron nodded beside him, as he continued to lean forward, wanting to know more.

"I don't remember exactly why he was mad," Robert said, screwing his forehead up as he tried to recall the events of that day. "I think he'd had a tiff with his girlfriend or something," he said. Aaron sighed deeply, clearing his throat, his hand still on Robert's thigh in reassurance. 

"There was a moment, where Damien started kicking off with one of the prison guards. He had gone completely mental. He started attacking the guard and I don't know what happened next, but I was nearby, so I rushed towards them and tried to pull him off." Robert said. He breathed heavily as he swallowed another lump in his throat. 

He hated telling this story, but Aaron was right and he needed to find a way to move on from what had happened.

"He snapped and turned to face me. He told me to never touch him again, and he just started pummeling me. His fists were like rock hard boulders and I just remember them continuing to come in contact with my face over and over."

Robert could see Aaron through the corner of his eyes, and it looked like he was silently wiping away a tear that was threatening to fall down his cheek. God, he hated seeing Aaron cry.

"He was pulled off me by a few of the guards and I was rushed to the infirmary," Robert said, and he just looked at Aaron who had a look of devastation etched across his face. 

"I was only in there a day or two. But when I got out..." Robert paused, knowing this part of the story was too painful and raw in his memory, it only brought tears to his eyes. 

"What happened next?" Aaron asked, his voice cracking as he waited patiently for Robert to continue. Robert suddenly burst into tears, throwing his face into his hands. Aaron moved forward suddenly, coming closer and moving his hand from Robert's thigh to wrap it around his back. God, this was too painful. Robert didn't know if he could carry on with the story.

"Robert?" Aaron pleaded, and rubbed his back, urging him to continue.

It took a moment for Robert to catch his breath, as he slowly leaned up to look Aaron in the eye.

"You can tell me," Aaron said, his eyes wide as he practically was begging for his husband to carry on. Robert screwed his eyes shut, as he recalled the rest of the story.

"I...I...Damien and his gang confronted me outside the library." Robert told him, and Aaron went back to listening intently, his brow furrowed as he continued to rub small circles on Robert's back. 

It was a small comfort, but it did nothing to dissuade the torment spiraling through Robert's mind.

"I asked him why he was doing this, why he wouldn't just leave me alone," Robert said, "He told me it's because he just didn't like me,"

Aaron just shook his head, watching Robert closely, wishing he could stop the tears that were making tracks down his cheeks.

"What did he do?" Aaron asked, and Robert just breathed deeply, clasping his hands together as he recounted the next few moments of that fateful day.

"He grabbed hold of my jumper, and he dragged me out into the hallway. His followers were just laughing behind him as he threw me onto the floor," Robert paused, inhaling a long breath as he looked down to the floor beneath him. 

"I tried to fight back, I tried to make him let me go...but then he grabbed my head and smashed it hard against the brick wall." Robert could practically feel Aaron flinch, as the memories flooded back.

"I was so dizzy after that, I can barely remember what even happened," Robert said. He looked to Aaron who now had tears of his own traveling down his cheeks. He just wanted to wipe them away. He didn't want to say anymore. He knew this was hurting Aaron, hearing all of this. He just wished he knew what was running through his mind. 

"Then what happened?" Aaron asked, his voice gruff as he breathed heavily through his tears. 

Robert's face screwed up in anguish, as he thought back to what happened only seconds later.

"My vision was blurry, and I could feel blood trickling down my forehead. I didn't know what was going on, but then..." Robert paused, catching his breath. "I saw Damien pull a long piece of scrap metal from his jeans." Robert gulped, and he could feel that his heart was beating so fast, he thought it would fly out from his chest at a moment's notice.

"A shank?" Aaron asked, swallowing a lump in his throat, and Robert just looked at him and nodded.

"He'd obviously found it in the prison yard or something, and he'd sharpened it to the point it was like a knife," Robert explained, and he could see Aaron close his eyes in anguish, more tears continuing to fall down his face.

"I didn't even know what was happening, " Robert said, feeling his own tears continuing to make tracks. "I just remember the agony I felt when he slammed the shank hard into my collar bone. I can barely even remember the pain now, it's like I've blocked it from my memory. I only recall feeling like the shank was going right through me." 

Aaron shook his head at the thought of Robert in so much pain, and in so much agony. It churned his stomach even thinking about it. 

"What happened next?" Aaron asked.

"I blacked out," Robert explained, "And then I woke up 6 weeks later in hospital." Aaron furrowed his brow harshly, in what could only be explained as a mixture of confusion and devastation. 

"What?" he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. Robert took a deep breath as he looked away from the other man, unable to face the sadness that was etched across his ex-husband's face.

"There'd been a bleed on my brain, from when Damien smashed my head into the wall," he said. "I'd also lost a lot of blood because the shank had hit a major artery behind my collar bone," 

Aaron was shaking his head now, unable to comprehend the devastation it would have been for Robert to die like that. 

"They told me I was lucky to be alive," Robert said, staring down at the cold tea on the coffee table, his face blank as tears continued to flow freely down his cheeks.

"From then on I was harder, tougher, and didn't let people push me around. I became a shell, one that would push away anybody that tried to come near me." He said, "I started seeing myself as just another piece of trash that the system would spit out. I guess Damien took away my self-worth, and I don't really know how to get it back,"

Aaron looked like he didn't know what to say, his face was ridden with nothing but pure shock. The thoughts that were flowing through his mind must have been consuming him, but Robert still refused to look at him, not wanting to confront the devastation that was in the air, intoxicating the space between them. 

"Why did nobody tell me?" Aaron asked, his voice cracking once more, as he finally found his words. He removed the arm from Robert's back, moving away slowly as if he was trying to wrap his head around everything. Robert just shut his eyes forcefully, having dreaded this question like he knew it had been coming. He refused to meet Aaron's gaze.

"I'd already taken you off my file as my emergency contact," Robert admitted, and he could feel the words hit Aaron like they were slapping him across the face.

"I was your husband!" he cried, his voice breaking once more, as the tormenting emotions he was feeling continued to take over. Robert looked sheepish, as he finally stared over to the man he loved, the tears falling down his face, flowing freely with nothing in their way to stop them.

God, he just wanted to reach out and hold him. He hated seeing him devastated like this. It was why he'd been bottling everything up for so long. He didn't want to share this pain. He didn't need anybody else feeling the agony he'd felt, especially Aaron.

"I had a right to know that you were dying!" Aaron said forcefully, and Robert just looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"I thought it would have just been better for you to get on with your life, not having to worry about me being in there by myself," Robert admitted, but this just seemed to anger Aaron more.

"What about Seb? What about Liv? You aren't some prison scum to us! Do you know what it would have done to both of them to find out you'd died and we didn't even know?" 

Robert just took in a deep breath, his eyes not leaving Aaron's as the other man continued to stare at him, devastation pouring out of him like a waterfall. He didn't respond as Aaron gulped, moving closer to Robert again as he placed his arm around his shoulder.

"To think we would have been going on with our lives and you were..." Aaron couldn't even bring himself to finish that sentence, his emotions cutting him short as he looked away from Robert for a moment.

"I could have shown up to that visit a few weeks ago to find out that you weren't even alive anymore," Aaron said, his voice barely above a whisper. He stared into Robert's eyes then and the tension between them was holding them both captive and neither of them was about to look away.

"I'm alive, Aaron. That's all that matters now. You're here, you're happy. You're about to get remarried, I never want to stop you from living your life" Robert said, him trying to be the one to reassure him now. He leaned forward as he placed a hand on the other man's thigh. Aaron just looked back at him with an unreadable look on his face.

"You're insane if you think that you dying wouldn't have killed me inside," Aaron said, and Robert tried not to notice his heart skipping a beat at Aaron's words.

"I wouldn't have been able to cope, knowing that I never would have given you a proper goodbye," he said and Robert just closed his eyes firmly. He didn't know what to do as he felt Aaron's eyes looking deep into his soul. He couldn't contain the way his heart was racing, and he was starting to feel like he was being consumed in Aaron's gaze.

The other man started to rub circles on Robert's back, and it comforted him to know that Aaron had never stopped caring, even after a whole lifetime had passed them by.

"How would you have felt?" Aaron asked him then, and Robert opened his eyes again to stare deep into Aaron's.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Aaron gulped.

"If I had been the one at death's door, and you didn't even know until it was too late, how would you have felt?" Aaron begged quietly, and Robert couldn't help but notice the suffering glint in Aaron's eye. 

"I would have felt ruined," he said, and Aaron nodded, as another tear traveled down his cheek. he looked up sadly then, as he moved his hand to run fingers through Robert's blond tussles of hair. 

"I know how much prison can make you think that you're a terrible person. But you were just going about your life in there and this Damien guy stripped that away from you," Aaron said, "He's the prison scum...you...you're just a man who was protecting his sister," Robert felt the tears well up again, and he started to think that Aaron was right. It was going to take him a while, but Robert knew there was a chance he could find himself again. His time in prison wasn't going to define him anymore.

"It may seem like I've moved on with my life," Aaron told him quietly, and Robert stared at him intently, "And we may not have seen each other or spoken for years,"

Robert's breath was catching in his throat as he took in Aaron's words. He noticed then how close they were, their breaths catching together as they continued to hold each other's gaze.

"But I've thought about you every day for the past ten years. You have no idea how much I still care about you," Aaron said shaking his head softly as he spoke, and Robert could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't know if he could handle this for much longer. 

"How much I still love you," Aaron whispered, and Robert gulped, not expecting to have ever heard those words from Aaron again. They continued to look closely at each other, and Robert could smell the woody fragrance of Aaron's cologne, and it opened the door to a feeling of pure desire for the other man. Then, there was a sudden moment when Aaron realised what he'd said, as he looked away suddenly, a distant look now evident in his gaze. 

Robert didn't want this moment to end, so before he even knew what he was doing, he leaned forward and captured the other man's lips against his. Aaron was caught off guard for a second, but kissed him back passionately, overpowering both of their senses as their lust for each other consumed them. Robert could feel their tears, that had been falling freely down both of their cheeks, mix together as their passion took over and their love for each other became more and more evident. However, It was only another fleeting moment before Aaron pulled away slowly, resting his head against Robert's as he tried to capture his breath.

"Robert, we can't" he whispered, sounding defeated as he continued pressing his forehead up close to the other man. His eyes were closed shut, and Robert could sense the other man's desire. He knew this was wrong, they both knew it, but they couldn't deny the undeniable chemistry between them anymore. Robert could sense that Aaron was fighting a losing battle with himself, as they stared deeply into each other's eyes.

It's then that they reignited their kiss, and it was passionate, and it was beautiful and filled with so many emotions that neither of them could contain the desire they felt for the other.

"I want you," Robert whispered, as they both moved away slightly to catch their breath. Aaron looked at Robert with lust etched into every feature of his face, and right then Robert knew that the other man felt the same. 

"Vic and Diane will be home soon," Aaron told him, and Robert nodded in understanding, knowing neither of them wanted this moment to be ruined by being walked in on in their moment of passion. Robert stood up from the couch, holding his arm out to Aaron as he waited for the other man to take it.

"Come upstairs with me?" Robert asked, giving a beseeching glance down to the other man who looked up at him in wonder. Aaron nodded as he took his hand, and they both quickly ventured up to Robert's bedroom.

It didn't take them long to get to where they wanted to be, and Robert's bed was lying, waiting, in front of them. Robert could see the tense hold of Aaron's shoulder as he shut the door behind him. He then moved over to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. The other man leaned backward against Robert's chest and their foreheads touched in a loving moment of connection.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Robert whispered, and Aaron just looked at him with a wanting look on his face, his breathing already ragged. It wasn't long before he nodded, and Robert felt a weight lift off both of them as he started kissing the other man's neck. He could feel Aaron pool into a puddle of desire in front of him, and the feeling of lust and love just took over him at the same time.

Aaron's skin was soft, as Robert slowly started to take him apart, one gentle kiss at a time. Aaron reached around to grab hold of the back of Robert's neck, pulling him closer and closer if that was even possible.

Their bodies were so close, the curve of Aaron's arse flush right up against the contours of Robert's groin, his chest flush against Aaron's back and the warmth that was developing between them was getting red hot.

It didn't take long for Robert to grasp hold of the hem of Aaron's jumper, the other man compliant as he lifted his arms for it to be swiftly removed. Hands then went directly to Aaron's warm torso and Robert couldn't believe how lucky he was that he would get to see Aaron like this again.

He wanted him so much. He needed him just as much. Because no matter how often Robert felt poorly of himself, Aaron always had a way of making him feel invincible. And right now, he was feeling like he could do anything.

He'd laid himself bare to the man he loved emotionally, and now he just wanted to physically as well. It didn't take long before they were both free of clothing, and Robert could feel the vulnerable feeling of cold air flowing freely along his collar bone. Aaron was facing him now though, his eyes landing directly on the jagged scar, and tears started to well up in his eyes again.

But Robert grabbed his chin and lifted his face up to meet his.

"I'm here, okay? And I'm not going anywhere," he whispered. Aaron smiled sadly at him as he leaned in and kissed him again. Their breathing collided, and the ecstasy was starting to take over. As their tongues danced together, and their lips continued to touch with a gentle rhythm, Robert could feel the hardness start to settle in his groin, and as he looked down he could see his erection standing to attention.

He gently pushed his hips forward and could feel that Aaron was the same, the other man's cock curving up to his stomach. He started to walk the other man back towards the bed, and Aaron continued to kiss along Robert's neck as he gently laid him down, his body now hovering above Aaron's as he kneeled on the bed.

Aaron's hands started to wander, and he gently began massaging Robert's nipple, slowly working his way down his torso, ever so slowly toward Robert's manhood. The soft touches only ignited the embers in the pit of Robert's stomach, turning him on so hard, he could barely even think straight. He leaned down and consumed Aaron in a kiss, and the other man groaned as Robert leaned down to return the favour and gently stroked the other man's hard cock. It was only a fleeting touch but it seemed to set Aaron off.

"God I want you," he whispered, and Robert knew where to go. He started to kiss down Aaron's neck, breaking their kiss to only seek new pleasure for the man beneath him. Aaron writhed as Robert continued peppering soft, gentle kisses down his neck, then down his torso and Robert could sense the excitement Aaron was feeling as he ventured closer and closer to his cock.

It didn't take long for Robert to then take Aaron in his mouth, consuming his whole dick to the point he was almost about to gag. He looked up to see the other man whose face was red and wrecked. he was clenching his fists into Robert's duvet as he continued to run his mouth along the underside of Aaron's penis. 

Aaron could barely contain his pleasure, as he continued to groan and writhe, his eyes connecting with Robert's and the tension in the gaze they held was enough to set them both off.

But then Aaron made Robert pause, and Robert looked at him worriedly.

"What's up?" he asked, hoping to God this wasn't ending before it had even begun.

"Lay on your back," Aaron whispered as he slowly got onto his knees. Robert looked at him confused for a second, but obliged nevertheless. He turned over and watched as Aaron loomed above him. It was a glorious sight, as Robert watched Aaron's cock continue to curve up towards his stomach and a layer of sweat glistened along the top of Aaron's groin. Robert knew then that this was nowhere near being over.

It took Robert a moment to realise what Aaron was doing as he grabbed hold of Robert's cock, gently stroking it as he stared down at his lover with nothing but pure desire etched across his face.

Robert groaned softly in pleasure, as the feeling of Aaron's hand on his cock was driving him to the brink of ethereal. God, he loved this feeling. He never wanted it to stop, as he lay his head back into his pillow in pure ecstasy. He was caught off guard than as he felt the tip of his penis come into contact with Aaron's lips and Robert groaned heavily, the sensation almost too much to bear.

"Aaron," he said softly, his mind spiraling away from him, and all his troubles seemed to be lost. This closeness was what he'd been craving all these years. This intimacy, and this exchange of love and desire, it was everything he could have ever dreamed of. He looked down to see his manhood being completely consumed by the love of his life. The image itself was enough to drive him mad, was enough to drive him over the edge.

He wanted to be even closer. He wanted to be even more intimate.

"I wanna be inside you," he moaned softly, and Aaron looked up at him and smiled gently, taking his mouth away from Robert's cock and moving up to meet him in a kiss.

"I want you too," Aaron whispered as their breaths collided together.

Robert wrapped his arms around Aaron's neck, as their bodies were lit aglow as they moved against each other. They both gasped when they felt their cocks come into contact for a second, and Aaron leaned down to grip both of them in his hand. 

Robert threw his head back, as he didn't know if he could handle this for much longer. The feeling of his cock flush against Aaron's, it was enough to make him lose his mind.

He wanted him, he needed him. It was making him feel human again. It was making him feel like he wasn't just another convict. He was Robert Sugden and he was married to Aaron Dingle.

This was their love story. It wasn't over.

It was nowhere near.

Robert took that moment to push Aaron onto his back, as he straddled him. He looked down at the other man, who caught his gaze. They stared at each other intently as Robert leaned over to his nightstand to grab hold of that little bottle of lube.

He could see the anticipation on Aaron's face as he slathered his fingers and then leaned back, climbing off of Aaron to move down to his arse. He grabbed hold of his cheeks, and Aaron watched wantonly as Robert took his finger and gently inserted it into the other man.

Aaron groaned as Robert entered him. It was a beautiful sight as Robert watched him writhe in pleasure for him, and it made Robert giddy that he could still get this reaction out of him, despite how long it had been.

No matter what distance ever lay between them, they always knew how to come back to each other. 

A few moments later Aaron was fully ready, as Robert stood on his knees at the foot of the bed, starting to slowly slather more lube onto his cock as he stared down at his lover. Aaron was looking up at him, his legs spread wide as he waited patiently, they weren't looking away as the moment held so much love, and so much tension, neither of them wanted to break it.

Robert slowly moved and positioned himself at Aaron's entrance. It was only another moment before he pushed forward, and his cock disappeared into his walls. Aaron's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and every inch of Robert filled him up.

Robert could feel every inch of Aaron's walls as he slowly started to move in and out, his thrusts slowly starting to pick up the pace. He leaned down with a heavy groan as he pulled Aaron into a kiss. The new angle seemed to have done something for Aaron as he moaned into the kiss in pleasure.

Robert couldn't contain himself, he was in pure ecstasy as he continued to move in and out of Aaron. With every thrust, he felt like he was going to capsize and fall into some deep abyss that he knew he would never escape from. This man before him, this man that he was inside of, he would always hold his heart. He was always going to come back to him, they would always find their way back to each other.

No matter how much Robert had been tormented throughout his time in prison, there had always been one thing that kept him going.

Aaron.

He loved him.

He needed him.

They weren't over.

They never would be.

"Robert," Aaron groaned, as he gripped his nails into the other man's back. 

"I love you," Robert whispered as he pushed deep into Aaron. The other man let out a massive groan of pleasure as he seemed completely consumed by the passion that was overpowering both of them.

"I love you too," he cried, and Robert couldn't help slow down. He could feel he was getting close, and he wanted this to last as long as possible.

Aaron's eyes rolled into the back of his head, as the excruciatingly slow pace that Robert was setting meant his cock continued to rub against his prostate. 

"God, you feel so good," Robert whispered, and Aaron just leaned up and wrapped his arms around Robert's neck, pulling him down again for a passionate kiss. 

"I'm going to come, Robert," Aaron said, and Robert knew then to pick up the pace. He could feel his own pleasure rising, and they both knew it wouldn't be long until this was over.

"Me too," Robert said, as he thrust deep inside the other man. Aaron writhed beneath him, as the jolt suddenly sent him spiraling and white-hot come spurted out from his cock. He cried as his orgasm took over, his pleasure shooting ropes between them, as Robert felt the warm liquid hit his stomach.

It only set him off even more, and he began thrusting into the man so hard, it would only be a matter of time now.

"Come inside me, Robert," Aaron said quickly, and that was it. Robert knew then that he was done for as he let his own orgasm take over. He thrust forward one last time before he felt his seed enter into the man he loved.

He fell forward, his body enveloping Aaron's, as the other man pulled him in tightly, wrapping his arms and legs around him, pulling him in closer.

"Stay inside me for a bit, I want to feel you," Aaron whispered. Robert groaned as he leaned forward to consume Aaron in an everlasting kiss. He reached his hand down to feel where they were still connected and only sent sparks reverberating down his spine. 

He knew then that he never wanted to leave this man. He never wanted to leave this bed. He wanted it to stay like this, with just them two, forever.

They weren't over.

They never would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I really hope you liked this chapter. I really enjoyed writing it and I hope it lived up to all your expectations. 
> 
> Just thought I would let you know that there is still a bit of this story to go, and Conner will still be around for a good chunk of it, however, these two will definitely have a happy ending, I promise. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think in the comments. I love reading all you're lovely comments!


	14. When push comes to shove

It had been hours and they hadn't left Robert's bed. They were so consumed in their love for each other, that neither men could give up the other's touch, the feeling of their arms around each other, the closeness of their naked bodies bonded together harmoniously under the covers.

Robert could barely comprehend how he was feeling, and he continued to kiss and touch Aaron, his palpability now having been completely taken away from him. Their kisses were soft, in their post climactic feeling of ethereal, their hands still roaming freely over their warn out, sweaty bodies. 

They were in pure bliss, there was no other way of putting it.

Neither of them wanted to go anywhere, and Robert himself was feeling too elated to even contemplate getting out of this bed, now or ever. 

But a part of him knew, that deep down, they couldn't stay like this forever. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Vic and Diane got home, and then he and Aaron would have to go back to their lives and forget that this ever even happened.

So Robert was going to hold on for as long as he could. 

Aaron was smiling into another kiss, their tongues dancing, their lips connecting passionately, red raw by this point due to their constant attraction. Robert was looming above Aaron, his arms holding the other man close, as they embraced. Aaron's head was laid back in the pillows, his face wrecked and exhausted due to the passion that was consuming him. He had one arm under Robert, while the other was resting by his side, his hand gently stroking his lover's shoulder.

It only took a second before Aaron moved his hand and gently stroked down Robert's arm. He continued, still kissing the other man, and before long he was holding his left hand. 

He broke away from the kiss, and gently rested his forehead against Robert's. 

"You okay?" he asked softly, a look of love evident in his gaze, and Robert couldn't help smiling as he nodded his head. 

"I am now," he said, and it was Aaron's turn to smile this time. He was making soft circles with his index finger on Robert's palm, the man now smiling as he pecked another kiss on his lover's lips.

Aaron was grinning ear to ear, as he looked down at where their hands were linked. His gaze was soft as he moved Robert's hand up to his lips for a kiss, his gaze landing on the ring on Robert's finger.

Robert's stomach lit up in butterflies at the subtle touch, but when Aaron moved his hand away and took a good look at the ring, he couldn't help but gulp as the other man gently stroked the piece of titanium.

He didn't know what to make of the simple gesture, but he could almost see the thoughts that were running rampant through Aaron's mind.

"You still wear your ring," Aaron said, and there was a crack in his voice, and Robert could sense the emotions that he was feeling as the metal glistened in the sunlight coming through his window. 

He didn't know what to say, so when his and Aaron's eyes connected again, he just nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat at the same time.

A moment passed by, and neither of them was looking away. But Robert had a question looming in his mind that he had wanted to ask since he had stood foot in the village... no, as soon as he had faced Aaron across the visitor's table all those weeks ago.

"I've been wanting to ask," he said, "And I never thought it would be the right moment, but where did your ring go?" he asked, and as soon as he said it Aaron looked away.

He really hoped he hadn't ruined the moment. This was all he had been wanting for so long. It couldn't be over just like that.

But another moment passed by and Aaron returned his gaze.

"It's in my bedside table," Aaron said, his voice shaky, and Robert could feel the butterflies in his stomach start to settle in again. He willed himself to believe that Aaron had kept the ring close for a reason.

"When did you stop wearing it?" Robert asked, and Aaron sighed deeply. He was looking up to the roof now, and Robert tried to ignore the pain evident on his lovers face, as he recalled all those years he had been without Robert.

"I didn't want to give up on you," Aaron said, and Robert inhaled deeply at the other man's words. "I always thought at some point, you would let me back in to see you, that if I kept requesting visits, eventually you would accept them," he carried on, and Robert silently berated himself again for the pain he had put Aaron through.

"I'm so sorry Aaron," Robert said, his voice soft as he tried to gauge what he was thinking.

"It was a few years before I realised that you'd made up your mind. I guess there was one day, in particular, I was scrapping and I didn't want the ring to get damaged, so I took it off," Aaron said, swallowing a lump in his throat as he returned his gaze back to the man he loved.

"I never put it back on after that, but..." Aaron said, taking a deep breath as he tried to regain his composure. Robert could see tears threatening to fall, welling up in his husband's eyes, and all he wanted to do was reach out and wipe them away. But he knew he needed Aaron to finish what he needed to say. 

"I kept the ring close. I couldn't bare just throwing it in a box somewhere, never to see the light of day," he said, and Robert nodded. Aaron was still looking at him, and Robert could instantly feel the pain that the other man had been holding onto for all these years.

"I didn't want to move on, and I didn't really understand why you did what you did," Aaron told him, and Robert gulped as he stared up to the roof, now unable to look his husband in the eye.

"I knew you were living day by day, just waiting for the next time to come and visit me," Robert explained, and Aaron nodded, screwing his forehead up as he took in Robert's words.

"Because I loved you," Aaron said, his voice forceful, and Robert just nodded.

"You have no idea how much it was keeping me going, knowing that I was going to see you," Robert said, and he finally looked down to meet Aaron's gaze again.

"Then why shut me out?" Aaron asked, and Robert knew he was just trying to piece together all the empty words that were never said between them, all those years ago, at the fateful prison visit that had torn both of their lives apart.

"Because I was the one in prison Aaron. I only had you to hold on to, to get me through each day. You...you were supposed to be free, out here living your life, but it was like you were trapped too. I could tell just from looking at you that you weren't sleeping, you weren't looking after yourself, all because I was the only thing you were focusing on. I didn't want that life for you, and I blamed myself for it. You had a whole life ahead of you, and I was just a burden." Robert explained, and as he looked down at his lover, he could see the sadness in Aaron's eyes as clear as day.

"You could never be a burden to me," Aaron said letting out a sharp breath, as he moved his hand up to cup the back of Robert's neck. Robert could feel his heart beating faster, as Aaron pulled him in for a long kiss, one so passionate, and so loving that he could barely contain the fluttering in his stomach anymore. 

This was everything he missed, everything he had ever craved. This love, and this intimacy, it was so captivating and made him feel so elated, it was making him feel like he could float through life without a care in the world.

But suddenly the passion was cut short, as Aaron's phone started to ring. Aaron groaned as he looked over to his jeans that were lying on the floor only a few feet away. 

"Don't answer it, please," Robert begged, trying to pull the other man back into his embrace, but Aaron just smiled at him and gently placed a hand on Robert's chest.

"It could be something important," he said, and Robert groaned as he watched the man get up from the bed and walk over to grab his phone.

His face dropped instantly when he saw the name that had popped up on his screen. He looked up at Robert with a guilty expression on his face, as he quickly put the device to his ear.

"Conner?" he asked, and Robert's heart plummeted at the mere mention of Aaron's fiance's name. How was it even possible that he'd completely forgotten about the man's existence and it had only been a few hours?

Aaron had a distressed look on his face as he listened to his fiance over the phone.

"I...I'm still with Seb," he said, his face ridden with shame as he continued to stare at Robert.

"I guess I dropped him off," Aaron said, and Robert was now looking at his lover with confusion etched across his face. What was Conner going on about now?

"I'll be home soon, I swear," Aaron said, and Robert's heart plummeted even further. He was leaving. He was going back to Conner. He knew it had been too good to be true. 

Aaron was looking at him still, his face apologetic as he continued to listen to Conner.

"Don't worry, I can explain," Aaron said this time, and Robert sighed as he threw his head back into his pillows. 

"Bye Conner," he said, as he quickly hung up the phone.

"Robert, I'm so sorry, I have to go," he said, his composure completely gone at this point as he started rushing around the room, picking up pieces of clothing in a panic.

"Going back to the fiance. Again." Robert said with a deep sigh. He couldn't even look at Aaron now.

"Don't be like that, please?" Aaron said, his voice sounding defeated as he started to pull up his underwear. 

Robert could feel the sting of tears in his eyes again, but this time he refused to let Aaron see him cry. He couldn't do this again. He couldn't just watch as the love of his life went home to another man.

"Did this even mean anything to you?" Robert said, sitting up, his face ridden in anguish as he looked at the other man. Aaron furrowed his brow as he stared at him, and he had a look of sadness etched across his face, stopping in his tracks as he was halfway pulling up his jeans. 

"Of course it did," he said, and Robert tried to ignore the palpitations his heart was experiencing as a result of Aaron's words.

"But you're still going back to him?" Robert asked, his voice cracking as he watched Aaron continue to make work of his clothes.

"I don't know what to do Robert, I need to get my head straight, please," Aaron begged, as he bent down to pick up one of his shoes.

"I just don't understand. We had this massive heart to heart, and it's like nothing has changed for you," Robert said. Aaron screwed his face up in distress. He walked over quickly to Robert's side of the bed and before he knew what had hit him, Aaron grabbed the back of Robert's neck and planted a big kiss on his lips.

It caught him off guard, but it didn't deter him from what he was feeling at that moment. He pushed Aaron away, and the other man just stared at him with a sad look on his face. Robert refused to meet his eyes, knowing that if he did he would just burst into tears.

"I need to go okay? Conner's wondering where I am," Aaron said, trying to make Robert see sense, but he wasn't going to relent that easily. "Apparently, he saw Seb coming out of the cafe, I need to come up with something to tell him, and fast,"

"Maybe tell him the truth," Robert said, shrugging his shoulders in a huff as Aaron just looked at him sadly.

"What do I tell him? That I've fucked my ex twice now and enjoyed it?" Aaron asked incredulously. "You'd be six feet under by the time I even get the words out. I can't just tell him that out of the blue." he carried on, his voice desperate but Robert wasn't having any of it.

"Tell him whatever you want Aaron," Robert said in defeat, this time turning away from the other man completely. He buried his head in his pillows as he could feel Aaron's eyes like rays on the back of his head.

"It meant something," Aaron said softly, as Robert heard the other man make his way to the door. He couldn't help but feel a tear journey it's way across his cheek.

"I'll see you later," Aaron said again before Robert heard the pitter-patter of feet making their way out of the room.

And suddenly, he was on his own again. 

* * *

Aaron was driving through the village now, his thoughts in a state of panic as he dreaded what he was about to come home to. Conner had sounded pretty mad over the phone, wondering why Aaron had lied to him about spending the day with Seb when he so obviously hadn't. 

God he dreaded to think what the other man was thinking. He wasn't looking forward to this conversation and he needed to come up with some other excuse, and quickly. He hated what he was doing to Robert. He knew that he was only messing with the other man's emotions and he really didn't want to. 

But the thought he had almost died, and that Aaron would never have known, it had forced him to admit what he had been feeling since Robert had first stood foot in the village.

He wanted him.

He had wanted him then,

He still wanted him now.

And the thought that the possibility of them never being together again, Robert lifeless and cold, and having endured so much pain at the hands of that evil maniac...Aaron couldn't deny himself what he wanted any longer.

But Conner was also in the picture, and Aaron couldn't just turn his back on him, not after everything he had done for him.

He noticed then that Seb and Isaac were coming out of the cafe, Seb holding a football in his hands as he saw his father's car drive up. 

Aaron pulled over quickly, and he could see the concerned look on his son's face. He rolled his window down and waited for his son to approach. The boy was looking worried as he finally stood by where his father was parked.

"Where have you been?" Seb asked, and Aaron gulped. God, what was he even going to tell his son?

"I just had something come up," he lied, but he knew his son would be able to see right through him. Seb just furrowed his brow, and nodded slowly, obviously skeptical about what Aaron was saying.

"Well, I think I dropped you in it with Conner," Seb said apologetically. Aaron screwed his eyes shut in anguish. "He was proper confused when I told him I haven't seen you all day," Seb carried on, and Aaron could instantly feel his stomach fluttering nervously. Oh god, what was he going to say to get himself out of this?

"It's alright Seb, go back to hanging with Isaac," Aaron told him, his nerves still getting the better of him. Seb stared at him with a concerned look on his face.

"You know you can tell me the truth," Seb said, and Aaron could see what looked like a glimmer of hope in his son's eyes, noticing him taking a glance up the road to where he had come from, the road that led to Robert's house. 

Seb really wasn't stupid.

"It's not important," Aaron lied, and this just made Seb give him a deadpan look.

"If you had to lie about it, how is it not that important?" he asked, and Aaron let out a deep breath. 

"I'll talk to you later," Aaron said and reached out of the car to place a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, okay?" 

Seb just looked at him and nodded, his face still skeptical. Aaron looked on worriedly as his son took a step away from the car, and he wound his window up. He quickly placed his foot on his accelerator as he made quick moves to get back to the mill. He was dreading what he was going to meet on the inside. 

It didn't take him long to park and climb out of the car, his heart beating a mile a minute as he made his way to the front door. He inhaled deeply as he stepped inside, only to be met with a discerning look on Conner's face, the other man sitting, waiting, on the sofa, for Aaron to arrive home.

Aaron swallowed a lump in his throat as he moved further into his home.

"Conner," he said quietly, and the other man just sniffed as he looked down to his feet.

"Where have you been?" he asked, and Aaron shivered at how calm the other man sounded then.

"Just out," Aaron said, and Conner raised an eyebrow at the response,

"Seriously?" he asked, his voice sullen 

"What am I? Some teenager you've been waiting up for?" he said harshly, and he hated seeing Conner's face distort into a look of sadness. He got up from the sofa, quickly nodding his head over and over as it looked like he was thinking of what to say next.

"Well, when your fiance has blatantly lied to you about his whereabouts, your mind does begin to worry," Conner snapped and Aaron closed his eyes firmly, as he tried to quickly think of some kind of excuse, any kind of way to get himself out of this mess. He couldn't tell him about Robert. Not now, not like this.

"So I'm going to ask you one more time where you've been, and I want an honest answer," Conner said, and Aaron quickly swallowed another lump in his throat.

"I...I...I was with Adam," he said, and Conner just furrowed his brow. "We were in Hotten. I was helping him find something to surprise Vic with," 

Conner looked at him with suspicion etched into every feature of his face. He didn't believe him. Now there was no turning back.

"Why couldn't you just tell me that?" Conner asked, his voice still sounding skeptical.

"It was a last-minute decision, he texted me after you'd left, and he thought the fewer people that knew, the better," he said, and he hoped to god that Conner believed him this time. 

Conner let out a sharp exhale, as he shook his head.

"I'm guessing Adam would back you up on this then? If I were to ask him to meet us at the pub to clear this whole thing up?" Conner said, pulling out his phone from his back pocket. Aaron gulped,

"You really don't believe me?" Aaron asked, and Conner just shook his head.

"It all just sounds so strange to me Aaron. I ask you to spend the day together and your excuse not to is because you want to spend the day with Seb. Then you ditch your son to spend the day with your best mate?"

"It's the truth, okay? He needed my help, so I helped him," Aaron said, and Conner just smirked.

"Then we should have no issue talking to Adam then, should we?" he asked, as he quickly typed a message on his phone. Aaron screwed his face up in anguish then as he watched the other man press send.

"Grab your coat then," Conner said as he quickly walked over to the door. Aaron gulped as he followed behind him, berating himself for getting into this mess, to begin with.

What the hell was he going to do now?

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach the pub, and Adam was waiting patiently for them outside the Wooly. He was looking down at the phone in his hands, completely none-the-wiser of the turmoil that was running through Aaron's mind. 

As he and Conner approached his best-friend, Adam looked up and smiled at the pair of them. It was then that he noticed the silent, pleading look on Aaron's face. He furrowed his brow in confusion then, as Conner smiled and took a seat next to the other man at the outdoor table.

"How was your day then?" Conner asked the man, and Adam nodded, his face perplexed as he looked over to Aaron who was still standing a little bit behind the two of them.

"Yeah, good thanks," Adam said slowly, obviously wondering where on earth this was going. 

"Spend the day in Hotten did you?" Conner asked, and Adam just looked over to Aaron who was nodding his head, his face begging the other man to play along. Adam cleared his throat and nodded, turning back to Conner a moment later.

"That I did," he said, 

"So what did you and Aaron get up to?" he asked, and Adam gave Aaron a wide-eyed look.

Aaron didn't know what to do, so he quickly mouthed "Vic" and hoped to god, Adam knew what he meant.

Adam gave him a confused look, and Aaron did the only thing he could think of, as he brought his hands up to his face and pretended to play peekaboo. Adam gulped as he turned back to Conner.

"Just tried to find a nice surprise for Vic," Adam said, and Aaron couldn't believe that he had actually understood what he meant. He felt what he could only sum up as pure relief as he gave a thumbs up to his best mate.

He noticed Conner's shoulders relax a bit as soon as Adam had said those words.

"What's the need to surprise her so suddenly?" Conner asked, and Adam just smiled, 

"Oh you know, we just got back together. So I wanted to do something nice for her," he said, and Aaron couldn't help but hold back a smirk.

"Cheesy git," he said as he finally came and sat down at the table next to Conner. His fiance just looked at him and gave him a sad smile.

"Sorry I didn't believe you," Conner said, and Aaron couldn't help but feel the guilt settle into his stomach again. 

God, he hated having to lie. But he couldn't admit his true feelings; not now, not like this. He looked across the table at Adam who was the one giving him a skeptical look now, and he tried to ignore the eyes the seemed to be boring into his soul.

"So how were the Christmas markets?" Aaron asked, trying to change the subject away from his whereabouts completely. Conner just smiled at him softly, as he placed a reassuring arm on his shoulder.

"They were great. I wish you would have been there though," he said lovingly, as he moved in to give the other man a kiss on the cheek. Aaron accepted it with a smile, as he swallowed another lump in his throat, trying to ignore the suspicious glare he was getting from Adam now.

Just then, Conner's phone bleeped and he quickly brought it out from his pocket. He looked down and Aaron saw that it was a message from Conner's sister. Conner smirked. 

"Looks like Mia forgot her wallet in my car, I guess she wants me to drive it out to her," Conner said, and Aaron tried to ignore the feeling of relief he felt due to his fiance's pending absence. 

"You don't have to go now though do you?" Aaron asked, trying to sound as genuine as possible, and Conner just smiled at him, placing a loving peck on his lips.

"I'll be home in 20 minutes, tops," he said. Aaron then plastered a smile onto his face as his fiance got up from the table. He placed a loving hand on Aaron's shoulder as he then turned and started to head back towards the mill.

Aaron thought it would all be fine then, as he looked over at Adam. 

"I'll just go get a pint," he said, as he started to get up from his seat.

"Sit down," Adam said, and Aaron could sense that this wasn't over quite yet. He sat down slowly, trying to not make eye contact with his best mate who was plainly seeing right through him at this point. 

"You know, if you want me to cover for you, a bit of warning might be nice," Adam said, and Aaron smirked.

"You did beautifully mate," he said. Adam just gave him a deadpan look, and he knew that this wasn't just going to be one of their playful conversations. Aaron leaned forward and placed his head between his arms which were resting on the table in front of him. 

"Where were you really?" his best friend asked, but Aaron had a sense that he already knew.

"It's not important," Aaron said, trying to brush it off, but he knew it wouldn't bode over well.

"Mate, I ain't stupid. So come on, out with it," he said. Aaron ran his fingers through his hair, as he tried to regain his composure.

It was another moment, and Adam was sitting patiently before Aaron finally told him the truth.

"I was with Robert," he said. Adam had a knowing look on his face now as he nodded, biting the inside of his cheek.

"When you say you were with Robert..." Adam said, his brow furrowed,

"We were fucking!" Aaron said, his eyes wide as he threw away the comment like it wasn't as serious as it was, and Adam took in a deep inhale of breath as he nodded his head again.

"Right,"

"It's not like it was planned," Aaron said, and Adam squinted as he grabbed hold of his pint tightly.

"Was it a one-off?" Adam asked, and it looked like he was trying to wrap his head around it, but Aaron just closed his eyes firmly, answering the question without needing to say anything.

"Right," Adam said again.

"Don't judge me, not after what you did with Vanessa," Aaron said, and Adam smirked.

"Mate, that was a lot different and we know it," he said, and Aaron sighed deeply as he nodded his head in defeat.

"Adam, my heads mashed. I don't know what to do," he admitted finally, and Adam nodded knowingly.

"I get it," he said, and Aaron exhaled sharply as he leaned forward and grabbed hold of the pint in front of his best mate. 

"Hey!" Adam said with a laugh as Aaron skulled back the drink in less than 10 seconds. He slammed the glass back in front of him, as he looked away for a second, trying to regain some of his composure.

"Please don't tell anyone," Aaron said a moment later, "Especially Vic," he added, and Adam nodded knowingly.

"You don't have to ask," he said. Aaron smiled, in a way of saying thanks as he looked over the table to his best mate. He was staring at him now, obviously waiting for Aaron to elaborate on the situation.

"It's not like it was planned," he repeated, and Adam nodded. 

"Robert's not forcing you into anything, is he? He's not playing his mind games like he used to?" Adam asked, and Aaron screwed his face up then, horrified by the question.

"He'd never do that," he snapped, and Adam just nodded,

"I just had to ask," he replied, holding his hands up in surrender, and Aaron shook his head.

"I wanted to be with him," 

"What about Conner?" 

"Like I told you, my head's mashed," Aaron said and this time his best mate nodded in understanding.

"Well do you know who you want to be with?" Adam asked, and this just seemed to make Aaron more flustered. He looked up to the sky, his face ridden with a mixture of guilt and confusion. Adam rephrased his question when he saw the distress his best mate was feeling,

"Who do you have feelings for?" Adam asked, and Aaron closed his eyes shut firmly and let out a long breath.

"I love Conner," he said, as he returned his gaze to meet Adam's from across the table,

"Why am I sensing a but?" Adam asked, and Aaron swallowed another lump in his throat.

"Because...Robert's...Robert," he said, finally admitting to himself what he had known all along.

Adam just smiled at his best mate sadly, and Aaron could sense the pity being directed at him from the other man. God, he hated that he was in this situation. 

"You need to make a decision mate," Adam said a moment later, and Aaron knew in his heart that his best friend's words were true. 

"Conner or Robert? You need to choose, otherwise, somebody is going to end up hurt. And I have a feeling, that that will be you," Adam said, leaning forward and placing a reassuring hand on his best mate's arm.

Aaron groaned out loud, he really hated this situation. But he also knew that Adam was right.

God, why did he have to be right?

* * *

It was now later in the day, the sun had set, and the moon was now shining in and out from between the clouds. Aaron was on his way to the shop, as they had run out of milk, and as he strolled through the village, he couldn't help his mind that was continuing to spiral.

His best mates words were still firmly welded into his brain, and he knew he couldn't go on like he was forever.

He needed to make a decision as to who he wanted to be with. And he needed to make up his mind soon.

But just as he rounded the corner, and the shop came into view, he noticed Robert walking out with his head hung low. Aaron watched as he saw the man turn and start walking back towards his cottage, his movements sullen as he continued to walk slowly. A yearning pang suddenly jolted Aaron's whole body as he started to walk faster to catch up with the other man. 

"Robert!" he called, and the man looked surprised as he turned to face Aaron. He was fastly approaching him now, and he could see what looked like an eye-roll from the other man, and he tried to not feel hurt by the sign of annoyance.

"What do you want Aaron?" Robert asked, his voice sounding tired as Aaron finally came to stand in front of him.

"I just want to know how you are," he asked, catching his breath after having run to catch up with the other man. Robert just looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I could be better," Robert said, "You know... if the love of my life hadn't walked out on me...again...to run back to his fiance...again." he carried on, and this just caused Aaron to screw his face up in anguish.

"Robert, I'm sorry," Aaron told him, wishing he could just make the man understand the whirlwind of emotions that kept crashing through his brain. 

"I can't keep doing it Aaron," Robert said, his face exposing a look of torment as he stared with wide eyes to the man he loved more than anything. 

"Doing what?" Aaron asked, a crack appearing in his voice as he listened to what Robert was saying.

"I can't keep holding on to every inch of hope that you throw my way, only to have it continue to be pulled out from under me," Robert explained, and Aaron could feel his heart beating fast as he took a step closer to the other man.

They were hidden under the dead of night, the sun now long gone at this point, but Aaron couldn't help but look around to see if anyone could see them. This just caused Robert to scoff as he took a step back.

"You can't even be seen around me," Robert said shaking his head in defeat as he looked down to the ground in shame, and Aaron furrowed his brow then.

"What? No Robert, please just listen to me," Aaron said, his breath catching in his throat as he moved closer to Robert again, trying to reach for his hand. But Robert just moved his hand away, refusing to meet Aaron's eyes.

"Is this just some kind of payback?" Robert asked, and Aaron looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"For leaving you, all those years ago. You're playing with me to get back at me for when I left you in prison," he said. Aaron shook his head forcefully and bit the inside of his lip. 

"That's not true, Robert. Everything that's happened between us since you got back, it was real, it meant something," Aaron said.

"I still love you Aaron, and I want to be with you," Robert said suddenly, and Aaron found himself swallowing a lump in his throat. God, why couldn't he just tell him how he really felt?

"I want to be with you, out in the open, and I want me, you and Seb, to be a family...like we used to," Robert said, and he was looking at Aaron now, his face desperate as his eyes looked deep into Aaron's soul.

"Robert..." Aaron said, trying one last time to move closer to the other man, "I want that too, okay? But I can't just leave Conner," 

Robert screwed his eyes up, willing tears not to fall down his face, as he quickly took in a deep breath as he looked away from Aaron again.

"Why?" he asked, and his voice was so soft and so quiet, the man just sounded broken that it only made Aaron feel more guilt.

"Robert, he's not just some fling I met in a bar somewhere," Aaron stated, and Robert gulped, still refusing to meet Aaron's eyes. "We have history Robert...and I still love him," 

Robert's face was ridden with anguish as he took in Aaron's words. Aaron noticed tears were falling down the other man's face now, and Aaron just wished he could hold him, tell him that he wanted him, and needed him and that they should just run away and be happy together.

But he couldn't. That wouldn't be fair on anyone.

Not Seb,

Not Liv,

Not Conner.

"What about me?" Robert asked then, his voice still sounding broken, and Aaron perked up to listen to him then. He looked closely at Robert, who was now staring back at him. "Am I just some side-fling that you'll be done with in a few months?" he asked, 

Aaron exhaled sharply and started to feel tears of his own well up in his eyes.

"No!" he said, his voice cracking, as he tried to move closer to Robert again.

"We have history too, Aaron," Robert stated, "We're married, we have a son, we've been through hell together, we've been by each other's side through so much heartbreak, and so much happiness, and good times!" 

Aaron took in Robert's words as he stood, transfixed, his heart beating so hard, and so fast, he thought he would break at any moment.

"I thought, because of our story, because of everything we've been through, we would outlive any other relationship that stood in our way! That might sound selfish, but I don't care. You're my Aaron, and I'm you're Robert! I don't want to stand back and watch you carry on with a relationship with a guy that's nowhere near good enough for you!" Robert continued, and Aaron felt like he was souring. He didn't know if he could contain the love he was feeling right now, but he knew they couldn't stay like this in the cold forever.

"Robert, I'm sorry," he said, the tears now falling freely down his cheeks.

"Did you mean it?" Robert asked, and Aaron gulped as he continued to stare closely into the other man's eyes. 

"What?" Aaron asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"This morning, when we were having sex," Robert said, and Aaron closed his eyes, the images of Robert's naked body pressed up close to his. "You told me you loved me," he continued, and Aaron could feel his heart skip a beat as he realised what Robert was asking. "Did you mean it?"

Aaron inhaled deeply, just before he found himself nodding, 

"Yeah...Yeah I did," Aaron said, his shoulders shrugging slightly. His voice was quiet, and tears continued to make tracks down his cheeks. He watched as Robert took in a sharp breath of air due to Aaron's words, almost like his own heart was skipping a beat. But then Robert just nodded, as he looked down at his husband, and Aaron could see the pain etched onto the other man's face.

"Look, Aaron, I can't make up your mind for you," Robert said, "But you need to decide who it is you want," he told him and Aaron's heart felt like it was constricting in his chest, just as he watched Robert start to walk away.

He couldn't do this, he couldn't just watch as the love of his life walked away from him.

He sprung forward, grabbing Robert by his arm and pulling him towards him.

"Look, it's you okay, It's always going to be you!" he said and he could see the other man's face contort into a look of pure relief as Aaron cupped his face and pulled him into a longing kiss. 

As their lips pressed together, it was like a lightswitch in Aaron's brain turned on, and everything dark that had ever appeared in Aaron's mind suddenly lit up in lights. This was his world lighting up, his whole world being revived, and the world he once lost was finally being brought back to him.

This is where he belonged.

It was decided then.

His and Robert's story wasn't over.

This was just a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry about the wait on this, but I hope the length made up for it and that this chapter was worth the wait! 
> 
> As you can see the boys have well and truly admitted their feelings for each other, but don't let that fool you because there's still a lot more drama to come!
> 
> Next chapter - I hope you guys love a bit of family bonding! :)
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! Thank you so much for all your constant support!
> 
> BTW - if you want to follow me on Tumblr (shazza1398), I might start posting updates on there about when the next chapter can be expected! Otherwise, feel free to message me as well. I know this is a hard time for everyone at the moment and I just want to spread as much love and positivity as possible!


	15. You are what makes this home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW - this chapter is loooooong. I really enjoyed writing it so I got carried away, lol.

Robert was sitting at the dining room in his little cottage, grasping tightly onto the cup of tea in his hands. He was staring down at the phone in front of him, the device taunting him as he waited for it to light up with a notification.

Aaron was supposed to be talking to Conner right at that second, and he was on pins and needles thinking about what was happening down at the mill. It was nerve-wracking to think that in only a matter of hours he would be free to be with the man he loved, there would no longer be any barriers standing in their way.

It had been just the night before when Aaron had spun him around so fast, and so quick, that he had barely even been able to let out a breath before his husband had been begging him not to leave, unleashing his feelings for Robert to hear. He'd been caught off guard, but at the same time, had felt a tremendous feeling of relief wash over him. He had sworn that Aaron was just going to go back to Conner. 

He'd never thought that Aaron would actually do it, he would actually leave Conner to be with him. But that's what he was doing, and right now, Robert knew that as soon as Aaron was finished doing whatever it was he needed to do, he would be there for him in a heartbeat. 

But now it was just a waiting game.

It was then that Vic and Diane emerged from the kitchen, both of them carrying some cups of tea as they ventured over to the dining table. Robert was brought from his reverie, looking up from his phone to the two women as they sat down.

"How was your sleep?" Robert asked Diane, as she had traveled such a long distance only the day before. She was a lot older now, and Robert couldn't help but worry about his step-mother from time to time.

"It was lovely, thank you pet. You two have really made a home for yourselves here," she said, and both him and Vic shared a look between each other.

"It's your home too now, Diane," Vic said, reaching over and grabbing the older woman's hand on the table. Diane looked at Vic and smiled at her warmly. 

"It'll take a bit of getting used to, being back here after all this time," Diane said,

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Robert asked her, and she turned to look at him, nodding softly as she took a sip of her tea.

"I suppose I had better go and visit Bernice and Gabby. I haven't seen them since Gabby's wedding, and I know they'll want to have a catch-up," she said, and Robert smiled at her softly.

"How about you, pet?" she asked, and Robert bit the inside of his cheek, unsure as to how it was best to answer the question. He didn't know what was going to happen later in the day if he was honest. He was bricking it as to what Conner would do when he found out about him and Aaron. 

He just shrugged though, as he looked back at his step-mum.

"I'll just see where it takes me I guess," he replied a moment later.

"Seb's got his last football game of the year doesn't he?" Vic asked, and Robert turned to her and nodded. He cleared his throat for a second, as he looked down at his tea.

"Yeah, I might go and see him a bit later. I have a few things I need to do at the scrapyard first," he said, and Vic just smiled in return. 

"Well I had better go and get ready for the day," Diane said as she looked down at her empty mug. She got up from the table then, as she walked back to the kitchen to place the mug in the sink before she ventured up the stairs.

It was now just Robert and Vic by themselves, and there was a slight tension to the silence between them. They hadn't really spoken since Robert had walked out on her the other day, and neither of them knew how to break the ice.

It was Vic who spoke first.

"I'm sorry for being so nosy," she said, and Robert turned to her and raised a brow in confusion. He didn't really know what to say in response to that, but after a moment, he relaxed his expression before looking at his sister, a soft gaze now in his eye.

"You weren't being nosy, you were just looking out for me," he replied, and she smiled at him sadly.

"I just worry about you. You haven't been yourself since you were released," she said. He placed a reassuring hand on her's. 

"I'm fine, I promise you," he told her, and she blew out a breath of air that she had been holding on to.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and he chuckled softly as he nodded his head,

"I spoke to Aaron, and that helped," 

"Well, you can speak to me too, you know?" she said, and he nodded,

"I know, and I will...In time," he said, as he stroked his thumb along the back of her hand. He did love his sister more than anything. She nodded as she looked at him, seemingly taking in what he was saying.

"It was a hard time, prison," Robert said a moment later, "And there are things I just don't want to rehash if I can help it."

The truth was, he had already seen the heartbreak on Aaron's face when he had told him about his brush with death, and he didn't know if he could handle it again, seeing that same pain in Vic's eyes. She was his little sister, and he just wanted to protect her for as long as he possibly could.

Vic smiled at him and nodded, and he knew that she understood. 

He was so glad that he had her in his corner.

* * *

Aaron was sitting on the sofa of the mill, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he watched his fiance fumble around the house, in search of god knows what. He knew he needed to say something sooner rather than later, but his head was throbbing, and his hands were clammy. Aaron felt like he could barely breathe.

Conner was in the kitchen, rifling through the bowl on the bench which held all of their keys. He was flustered, that Aaron could tell, and he just needed to get his attention, tell him to calm down, just enough so he could get the words out.

They needed to end their engagement.

He wanted to be with Robert.

"Conner," Aaron said, finding his voice finally after clearing the lump in his throat. The other man turned to look at him suddenly, and Aaron could tell that his fiance seemed distracted.

"Everything alright?" Conner asked nonchalantly, but just as soon as he spoke, he went back to hunting for his keys.

Aaron gulped as he stood up from the sofa, and began making his way over to the kitchen. He watched as Conner seemed to finally have found his keys, pocketing them as he began searching for something else. His eyes landed on his tie, which was hung up over the back of one of the dining chairs, and grabbed it quickly before throwing it around his neck.

"Can we talk?" Aaron asked, and Conner looked up at him again, as he started tying the tie.

"Can it wait until later, I really have to get to this meeting?" Conner asked, and Aaron closed his eyes softly as he blew out a sharp intake of breath.

"Why do you even have to go to this thing? Christmas is only a few days away, you should be taking some time off," Aaron asked, and Conner looked at him with a roll of his eyes.

"I already told you, Aaron. These high execs want to go over a new contract for next year, so they need to meet with me this side of Christmas," he said, and Aaron's shoulders fell. He just needed to talk to him as soon as possible, he didn't want to drag this out any more than it needed to be.

"This is a huge opportunity, Aaron, I thought you knew that," he said, and Aaron sighed as he nodded his head.

"Yeah, I do. I just need to talk to you about something," he said, and Conner exhaled sharply as he finished tying his tie.

"We'll talk tonight yeah?" he said, as he moved closer towards the other man, grabbing his briefcase off of the dining table, then leaning in to kiss Aaron on the cheek as he started heading towards the door.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Aaron released the tight grip of his fists that he didn't know he had been holding.

He didn't just want to come right out and say that they were over. He owed it to Conner to actually sit him down and talk to him. He couldn't just rip off the band-aid, not with something like this. 

But Robert was expecting him to have spoken to Conner that morning. Now, what was he going to say to him?

* * *

It was later in the morning when Aaron and Seb made their way into the cafe, the boy in his football kit and buzzing around excitedly as if he'd had ten gallons of sugar running through his body. But Aaron knew his son was just excited about his game. They were finalists after all, and this was the game that would make or break the season.

The bell to the cafe was ringing as they walked through the door, and it was then that Aaron saw Robert ordering a cup of coffee from Bob at the counter.

"Dad!" Seb cheered as soon as he saw the blonde man, and as soon as he heard his son's voice, Robert turned around to face the two of them. He was smiling widely as he took the cup of coffee Bob was holding out to him, and then ventured over to meet them in the middle of the cafe.

"How are you?" Robert asked, and Seb looked up at his other father gleefully.

"Yeah good!" the boy said, and Aaron couldn't help his heart from gushing as he saw the bond between the two of them as clear as day.

"You excited about your game?" Robert asked, and for a split second his and Aaron's eyes connected, both of them exchanging a silent moment of endearment.

But Aaron had to look away. He still hadn't spoken to Conner, and he knew the other man was bound to be disappointed.

"Yeah, it's going to be great!" Seb said as he looked between his two Dad's. Aaron noticed what looked like a glint of suspicion in his son's eye, but it was only a flicker before the boy turned back to Robert.

"Are you coming?" he asked hopefully, and Robert chuckled softly as he looked down at him.

"I..ah..I don't want to impose," he said, taking a brief moment to look at Aaron, the silent connection between them very evident at this point. Aaron knew he had to say something, so he gulped.

"It's just me going," Aaron said then, "Conner got held up with work," he tried to make it sound like it was nothing out of the ordinary, but he also hoped that Robert would get the underlying meaning.

There was a flicker of understanding in Robert's eye then, and the smile that was there vanished for a second. He cleared his throat as he nodded, standing up straight.

"Oh," he said, and Seb was still looking at him expectantly.

"It'll be awesome if you could be there, please Dad?" he pleaded, and Robert couldn't help but laugh softly as his son continued to look up at him, the pleading look very evident, his eyes wide and hopeful as he waited for Robert's response.

"Okay," Robert conceded finally, and Seb's face lit up in a glow. 

Aaron's heart was beating faster now, as he looked between his husband and his son. There hadn't really been a time where they'd hung out as just the three of them. This was completely new territory and Aaron had no idea what to expect. 

But now at least he would get a chance to speak with Robert about where they stood. 

* * *

Aaron and Robert were on the sidelines, the look on their faces etched in pride as they watched Seb glide across the field. They had been cheering him on the whole game, definitely drowning out the sounds of other proud parents as the team continued to score goal after goal. 

It looked like they were going to win, and Robert couldn't help but feel his heart swelling with love and pride as he continued to watch his son.

"He's incredible," Robert said, and he noticed Aaron smile next to him, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah, he is," Aaron said a moment later, and they both watched as Seb turned to face them on the field, having just scored a goal. He waved over at them, and the two men waved back, unable to contain the edges of their lips from turning up in a smile.

They hadn't really spoken much in terms of the tension between them, both of them not wanting to ruin the moment and the pride they had for their son.

Neither of them knew what the other was thinking, and it was because of that reason that they were both scared to even mention their relationship with each other.

But Robert had a niggling feeling in the back of his mind, and he just needed to know what Aaron was thinking.

"So...I...I guess I'm sorry Conner couldn't make it," Robert told him, and Aaron closed his eyes firmly.

"He probably wouldn't have come anyway, he hates this sort of thing," Aaron said, a slight grimace on his face now, and Robert turned to look at him, feeling concerned all of a sudden.

"Still...I know what he means to you," Robert said, and Aaron turned to look at him now, swallowing the lump in his throat as he stared at his husband, his eyes wide as he took in the loving and concerned gaze on his face.

Aaron just shrugged, "He's always been a workaholic anyway, so I'm not surprised," he told him, and Robert just nodded.

Suddenly he was feeling nervous, not wanting to bring up their conversation, or their kiss from the night before. It had been a fleeting moment, and Robert hoped to god that Aaron hadn't changed his mind.

But Aaron broke the tension as he looked to the man beside him, breaking the silence between them once more.

"I was going to end it," Aaron said, and Robert gulped as he took in his lover's words. "I was going to tell him about us," he carried on, and he could see the pain that Aaron was feeling in the moment then.

"But?" Robert asked, knowing that it was coming anyway, and he prepared himself for the worst, expecting his heart to plummet at the next moment.

"He was in such a rush this morning, I couldn't get a word in," Aaron said, still looking at Robert with those wide, pleading eyes. Robert didn't know what to say next, as he stared back, unable to comprehend where this conversation was going.

"I'm going to talk to him tonight," Aaron said, and Robert couldn't believe it, as he saw the sad smile on his husband's face.

"Yeah?" he asked, still unsure, but Aaron nodded in response, as he subtly moved his hand to grasp tightly onto Robert's. He stared down at their hands as he felt his heart flutter. He smiled softly at the man beside him.

"I don't want to rush you," Robert said

"I want to be with you," Aaron said, his voice soft, but forceful at the same time. They were talking quietly, knowing they were in public, and they weren't free to be together yet, even though they both desperately wanted to be. 

"I was scared before Rob," he said, and Robert swallowed a lump in his throat as a result of Aaron's words. "But I was a fool to think I could ignore how I feel about you. I always seem to find my way back to you, and that's not going to change any time soon," 

They shared a loving gaze, neither of them wanting to look away now.

But then Aaron released his hand, knowing that if they were seen holding hands now, there was bound to be too many questions that he was not yet willing to answer, not until he'd spoken to Conner at least.

It was only a fleeting moment, finished before it had even begun, but unbeknownst to the two of them, Seb had seen every second. He was looking at them now from across the field, his brow furrowed as he watched his two Dad's continue to hold each other's gaze. He was stopped in his tracks, trying to understand what was going on between them.

His confusion was short-lived, however, as his teammate called out to him, forcing him to direct his focus back to his game.

But Seb wasn't stupid, and that was not a look you would give just anyone. Especially you're ex-husband.

* * *

The game was over, and Seb's team had won. It had been a complete annihilation of the opposing team and now Seb was feeling on top of cloud nine as he made his way over to the car. He saw his Dad's there, both of them talking softly among themselves as he approached. 

They turned as he finally stood in front of them, both smiling widely.

"Look at you, player of the match!" Robert said with a proud note to his voice, and Seb couldn't help but blush as a result of his father's words.

"How are you feeling?" Aaron asked, and Seb just smiled back at them, feeling completely chuffed with himself, if he was honest.

"I'm great!" Seb said cheerfully, but the game wasn't the only reason why. He could see that there was something going on between his Dad's. It was completely obvious. But he didn't say anything, as they both clearly weren't ready to tell him about it yet.

And obviously there was Conner.

But Seb chose to ignore his existence completely.

"What do we do now?" Seb asked, looking between the two men expectantly, and they both stared at each other questionably.

"We could get some pizza? Take it home and watch a few films?" Aaron suggested, his brow raised as he watched Robert for some kind of response.

The other man just looked surprised at the idea, but still nodded in acceptance.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," he agreed, and the edge of Seb's lips turned upwards again, his teeth almost close to cracking under the pressure of his constant smile.

* * *

They were heading on their way home, driving through the village now. Seb was in the back, Robert sitting next to Aaron in the passenger seat. Robert still couldn't contain how elated he was feeling. 

It was starting to feel like they were a proper family; him, Seb and Aaron, and it had only been a few hours. It just felt so right, the way they fit into each other's lives, it just made sense. He wanted this, he wanted this family, and he wanted it to last forever.

Aaron was driving slowly past the woolpack when they saw Liv standing outside, her face screwed up in what looked like frustration. She was on the phone, and she was pacing back and forth as she spoke to whoever was on the other end of the line. Robert turned to Aaron then and could see the concerned look on his face. He slowed to a stop, catching Liv's attention as she pulled the phone from her ear.

She pocketed the device then walked over to where they were parked. She caught Robert's eye then and her face distorted into a look of confusion, obviously not having expected to see him in her brother's passenger seat. 

When she was close, Aaron rolled down the passenger window and Liv bent down so she could see them. She noticed Seb in the back seat as she then turned back to her brother.

"You alright?" Aaron asked after a second, and she smiled at him, taking a deep breath, before letting it out and nodding her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, but Aaron looked like he didn't believe her at all. 

"Get in," he said, and Liv gave him a perplexed look.

"Why?" 

"We're going home and binge-watching some trashy film, so get your butt in here," he said forcefully, and Liv had to try and hide the smile that was making its way onto her face. It didn't take her much convincing before she hopped into the seat beside Seb. The boy smirked as he looked at his aunt, 

"What are you laughing at?" she asked and he just shrugged,

"You,"

"Shut it you," she said mockingly, and Aaron just laughed at the two of them, shaking his head as he watched them in the rear-view mirror. He put his foot down then as he made his way to the mill.

Robert couldn't help but feel his heart beating faster as they approached the cottage. He'd obviously been outside it a few times since he had come back to the village, having dropped Seb home on multiple occasions. But he had never actually been back inside it, and now that he was about to enter into the house he once called his home, he couldn't control the thrumming of his brain inside his head. 

He was nervous, and his hands were getting clammy, as Aaron pulled up outside the Mill. He didn't know what to expect as he stood out of the vehicle, staring up at the brick and mortar that lay before him.

The four of them ventured closer, and Robert watched as Aaron fumbled with the keys in his hand, finding the right one to unlock the cottage.

His breath caught in his throat only a few moments later as he followed the others over the threshold. Aaron was looking at him now, obviously noticing the magnitude of the moment. Robert swallowed a lump in his throat as he began looking around.

It pretty much looked exactly the same. It had the same naff sofa that he'd picked out all those years ago. It had the same pictures on the walls, the same dining table, the same bookshelves, the same fireplace. It looked like it hadn't changed at all. Robert couldn't help but chuckle as he noticed the same random scooter underneath the spiral staircase.

He couldn't help but feel elated as he took in everything around him. It was then that he realised how much he had actually missed living in the mill.

He turned around, and that's when he stopped in his tracks. He had just noticed something that had changed, as he saw the picture on the mantle of the fire. He felt a pang of hurt hit him in the chest as he saw Aaron with his arms wrapped around Conner. It looked like it was from a few years ago, Aaron's hair cut short, his smile showing how in love he was with the man next to him.

It made Robert realise what he was asking Aaron to give up for him. He gulped. 

Seb was standing next to his father when he saw the look on his face. It was like he realised what Robert was staring at as he reached out to grab his arm in reassurance.

"Dad, you okay?" Seb asked, and Robert was brought out of his reverie. He looked around him and that's when he noticed that Aaron was looking at him with concern in his eyes. 

Robert just nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just so weird being back here," Robert said, and he watched as Aaron looked over to the photo that was on the mantle. He looked away just as quickly, staring down to his feet. He made his way over to the dining table then and grabbed the pizza menu that was there. 

"So many memories here," Robert said, still looking around, and Seb looked at him, his interest piqued as he followed his father's line of sight. 

"Really? Like what?" he asked, and Robert chuckled at his son's curiosity.

"Your Dad built this place, you know?" Aaron said then, walking back to the living room and finding a seat on the sofa.

"Really?" Seb asked, his voice sounding amazed. Robert couldn't help but nod softly as he took a seat across from Aaron. They looked at each other, both of them smiling warmly as they thought back to the time they shared this home together.

Liv was looking between them now, her face ridden in suspicion as she noticed the gaze her brother and his ex were sharing. She didn't want to make any assumptions, but she couldn't help the feeling that something was definitely going on between them. 

She pushed it to the back of her mind though, knowing it wasn't really any of her business. 

Aaron looked at her then, breaking the gaze with Robert as he remembered his sister hadn't been looking particularly happy earlier.

"So you going to tell me what's wrong?" Aaron asked, and Liv shrugged in response.

"It's nothing," she said nonchalantly, but Aaron just gave her a dead-pan look. 

"It's just Matt," she said, and Robert raised his brow in confusion. Aaron nodded, looking down at his hands.

"What's he done now?" Aaron asked, and Liv just smirked.

"He said he wants some space, to figure out what it is that he wants," she said with a roll of her eyes. "So basically he just wants to go out there and play the field," 

Robert sighed as he listened to Liv. How did he not even know that she had been seeing somebody? 

"He sounds like a right tool," Aaron said a moment later, and Robert smirked at the other man's words. Liv snapped her head to look at him and he shrugged. She shook her head with a hint of humour laced beneath her smirk.

"Sorry," Robert said. He looked at Seb who was sitting next to Aaron, who was now laughing at his Dad's. 

"You got any advice?" Liv asked him then, and Robert looked up at her with a warm smile.

"Tell me who this Matt guy is," he said, and Liv settled onto the arm of the chair that Robert was sitting on.

"He's just a guy I've been seeing on and off for a few months. It's nothing too serious. I just thought we were heading in that direction, you know?" she said, and Robert let out a deep breath. He placed a reassuring hand on Liv's thigh as he looked up to his sister in law.

"Well, then if he can't see what a great woman you are, then he isn't worth your time," Robert told her, and Liv looked down at him with a warm smile. 

"Yeah?" she asked, and Robert chuckled as he nodded his head.

"Yeah Liv, you're incredible. If he can't see that, then as Aaron said, he's a right tool," he told her. She was looking at him fondly now.

"I missed your wise words," she said with a laugh, and the edges of his lips curved up into a warm smile.

"Well I missed you," he said. Robert looked over at Aaron then who was staring between his sister and his husband with pure adoration. 

"Alright, now that we've dealt with Liv's horrendous love-life, can we get to ordering this pizza?" Seb said after a moment. Liv pretended to gape at the young boy's words as she got up from the arm of the chair and grabbed a cushion, throwing it at her nephew who quickly cowered behind Aaron. 

"You little twerp!" Liv said, the tone of her voice showing her jest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he shrieked as he tried to hide away from her wrath. Liv shook her head.

"You're lucky I'm feeling better now, otherwise, that'll be it for you kid," she said, and Seb smirked at his aunt.

"I'd like to see you try and fight me,"

"Oh, big man talk. You really wanna go?"

"Oh my god, cut it out the pair of you!" Aaron said then, smirking at the banter between his son and his sister. Robert was looking on at the pair of them, his face etched with a smile that was going from ear to ear.

He'd missed this family more than he thought was possible. He couldn't believe he was this close to having them back, he was this close to having it all. He loved the three people in front of him more than anyone else in the world. He would do literally anything to finally have them back in his life, and for good.

"So we ordering this pizza or what?" Aaron asked a moment later, and Robert was brought out of his reverie. Robert nodded, leaning in close and swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Yeah sounds like a plan," he said, as he moved in to have a look at the menu.

It wasn't long before they had all picked the pizza they had wanted and now they were all settling in front of the television, in search of a movie to watch.

"Dad, why don't you pick?" Seb said, looking at Robert now excitedly as he was reaching over to hand his father the TV remote. He took it cautiously before he settled back into his armchair.

"You sure?" Robert asked, and he couldn't help but smile as his son nodded excitedly.

"I want to know what you're favourite movie is," Seb said, and at that, both Liv and Aaron let out deep sighs of protest. Robert looked at them, his eyes wide in confusion. They both smirked.

"We know what your favourite movie is, and it's horrible," Liv said, and Robert snapped his gaze to look at her, the offense very evident on his face.

"Well, I want to watch it anyway!" Seb said with a laugh,

"It's been years!" Robert said, "How do you know my favourite movie hasn't changed?"

"Has it?" Aaron asked, a knowing look on his face now, and Robert gave him a slit-eyed look.

"No," he said, and Aaron smirked as he leaned back into the sofa.

"Well then our point still stands," Aaron said as he nodded his head, and Robert just let out a loud laugh, as he started searching for 'Waterworld' on Netflix. Seb looked on excitedly, settling into his seat, as Aaron and Liv both let out more protesting groans.

"I don't care what you think, this movie is brilliant! I have been entrusted by Seb to show him the greatness that is this film, so you two will just have to put up with it!"

"God help us all," Aaron said, and Robert smirked,

"Says the guy who once wanted to go and see a film about a man who becomes a cat!" Robert said, and Aaron snapped his head to look at him, chewing on his bottom lip to contain the smile that was threatening to emerge on his face.

"Oh Dad, seriously?" Seb said, looking at Aaron now with a horrified and disappointed look on his face.

"It was the only movie showing at the cinema!" Aaron said.

"Seb, who do you think has better taste in films? Me or your dad?" Robert asked, and Seb just smirked as he pointed at Robert,

Aaron shook his head at his son's betrayal, settling in beside Liv, who was also admitting defeat.

"You better make that distinction after you watch the film, Seb," she said. But Seb didn't care as he had a smile on his face so big, nothing was going to wipe it away.

* * *

It was now much later, the movie well and truly over. Seb had enjoyed it, and Aaron had a feeling it was just because Robert had been so invested in every moment that flashed across the screen.

It was starting to get late, and Aaron had a feeling that Conner was going to be home soon. He didn't want this day to end, but he knew that there were going to be more chances for them to be like a family again. Once he had spoken to Conner, they could go on like they had today for the rest of their lives. Nothing would be in their way from this day onwards.

Liv had dozed off half-way through the film, so now, as the credits rolled, Aaron was pressing his finger into her arm to see if it would wake her up. It took a few tries before she finally was brought from her slumber.

"Oh god," she said, her voice groggy, "Did I fall asleep?" she asked, and Aaron smirked at her and nodded,

"Yeah about 10 minutes in," he told her, and she gave him a knowing look,

"I wonder why," she said. He just smirked as she shook her head and sat up. She was looking at Robert now, who was clearing away the pizza boxes off the coffee table and taking them to the recycling. Aaron was amazed to see that Robert seemed to remember where everything went, even after such a long time. 

Seb was sitting on the sofa still, his face now engrossed into his phone. Liv sighed deeply as she started to stand up from the sofa. She reached for the phone in her back pocket as she pulled it out to look at the time.

"Well, I best get going," she said, and Aaron nodded at her, smiling softly as he stood up to give her a hug.

"Let me know how you get on with Matt," he told her, and she nodded. Robert walked over then and she smiled up at him as they pulled each other into a hug.

"It was good to spend some time with you today," she said, and he smiled back, nodding his head in agreement.

"You too," he told her. It was then she moved over and rubbed Seb's hair, pulling him away from the device in his hand. He looked up at his aunt, and they smirked at each other.

"See you later, Mr.," she said, as he got up from the sofa and hugged her tightly. She pulled away then with a soft chuckle and started heading towards the door.

It was then just the three of them, and Seb was now looking between his two Dad's. Their gazes had reconnected, neither of them looking away from the other, and it seemed like they had a million and one things that they needed to say to each other. They both then turned to look at Seb, both of them smiling fondly at their son.

"You alright bud?" Aaron asked. His parents were looking at him expectantly now, and Seb gulped, not knowing what to say.

"Yeah, I think I might just head up to bed. It's been a long day," Seb said, a smile tugging at his lips as he realised he should probably leave them to it.

"You sure? We could stay up and watch another film?" Aaron suggested, but Seb shook his head. 

"You two can, I'm pretty knackered," he said as he then headed for the stairs.

"Alright, well I'll see you tomorrow, buddy," Robert said, and Seb smiled at him from the first step. He looked between his dad's then and nodded.

"I love you guys," he said as he then made his way up to his room. 

Suddenly, it was just the two of them, and they couldn't help but lose themselves in the other's gaze.

"Look, I.. I had a good time today, so thank you for inviting me along," Robert said and Aaron smiled warmly at him.

"It's really nice to see how much you and Seb have grown closer," Aaron told him, and he nodded in response, flashing a wide smile as he looked up the stairs to where his son had gone only moments earlier.

"I know. I'm amazed at what a great kid he's become," Robert said, starting to move closer towards Aaron.

"I want us to tell him about us, together. I know it'll be a shock to him, but he deserves to know the truth before anybody else." Aaron said, his heart beating fast as the two of them sat down on the sofa again. They were close now, their knees touching, as they continued to hold each other's gaze.

"We will," Robert said, as he placed a reassuring hand on his husband's thigh. "I love you, and we'll get through all of this together."

"Conner's not going to take it lightly, he's going to be angry," Aaron warned him, and Robert swallowed a lump in his throat as he took in his words.

"We'll deal with that when it comes to it," Robert said softly, and Aaron nodded. His heart skipped a beat then, as he saw the other man's gaze land on his lips. He could see the desire in his eyes, and he knew what it meant.

They were goners, the pair of them, as Robert started to lean in slowly. Aaron wanted to lean in as well, he wanted to feel the other man's lips pressed up close to his, and as Robert got closer and closer, he was willing to throw himself into the kiss, to feel the other mans breath against his neck, to feel his body pressed up close to his.

But they needed to control themselves, if not, just for a couple more hours. He moved his hand up to Robert's chest, gently pushing the other man away.

"We shouldn't," Aaron said, and Robert looked at him, confused for a second.

"I want to, don't get me wrong," he reassured, and Robert swallowed another lump in his throat, "But we probably shouldn't do anything else until I've spoken to Conner," 

Robert looked at Aaron closely, nodding his head as he pulled himself away.

"I'm not a cheater, Rob," he said, as he looked down, seeing his ring on his left hand. Robert looked down at it as well, and let out a sharp breath of air that he had been holding onto.

"I understand, it's fine okay?" Robert said, and Aaron smiled back.

It was silent for another couple moments, neither of them breaking the tension between them. They so clearly wanted each other, but they were stuck in an impossible situation.

Just then, Aaron felt his phone buzz in his pocket, as he quickly pulled it out to see he had a text message from Conner.

Robert watched as Aaron's face distorted into a look of pure frustration, his brow furrowing as he continued to stare down at the device.

"What is it?" Robert asked him, and Aaron slammed the phone down on the coffee table, as he quickly brought his hands up to run his fingers through his hair.

"I don't believe this!" Aaron said, his voice sounding completely distressed,

"Aaron, what's wrong?" Robert asked, and he snapped his face back to look deep into the other man's eyes.

"He's not coming back tonight. He said he has to stay in Leeds for another 3 days!" Aaron said, and Robert let out a deep sigh as he realised what this meant.

"I can't just end it over the phone, Rob!" Aaron said, and he nodded as he looked at the man he loved, wishing he could help in some way as he was so obviously distressed. He wanted to hold him, he wanted to kiss him, he just wanted to be with him.

And he knew Aaron felt the same.

It was an impossible situation.

But then, just as soon as Robert removed the thought from his mind, of reaching to put a reassuring arm around the other man's shoulders, to pull him closer and never let him go, Aaron was moving closer, pulling Robert in from the back of his neck into a passionate kiss that caught him completely off guard.

He didn't know what to think, as he felt Aaron's lips pressed up close to his, the other man's thumb massaging the back of his neck. He was consumed by passion, and he never wanted to be set free. 

But he also remembered what Aaron had said only moments ago. He pulled away gently, watching his lover's gaze contort into a look of confusion as Robert pulled away.

"You just said..." 

"I know what I said," Aaron whispered, and Robert continued to stare deeply into his husband's eyes, still feeling like every part of him was being gripped from the inside, pulling him impossibly closer to the man he loved more than anything.

"I'm confused," Robert said, and Aaron just looked down at his lips again, wanting to pull him in and feel consumed by him, wanting to feel him inside of him, wanting him to never let him go ever again.

"I've waited 10 years, I'm not waiting for a second longer," he said, and Robert could feel his heart skip a beat as Aaron pulled him in again, their kisses reconnecting, and their hearts beating as one at an all-consuming rate. 

"Come upstairs with me, please?" he pleaded as they pulled away to take a breath, "Stay with me tonight,"

Aaron was looking at him hopefully, and Robert knew that Conner was now the last thing on his mind. He found himself nodding though, as he let Aaron take his hand. He began leading him up the stairs. They rounded the corner, and they made their way to Aaron's bedroom.

It was inevitable, as they made love that night, their bodies crashing together, and their hearts colliding as one as they continued to grow more in love with each other, more in love than they originally thought possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Here you go, the next chapter is finally up! So sorry for the wait, but I just wanted this chapter to be perfect and I found myself rewriting it a number of times. 
> 
> I hope the length makes up for the wait and that you enjoyed the bits of fluffiness throughout. I really loved this chapter, so I just wanted it to be right. But as you can see, it's quite obvious to everyone they care about that something is going on, and Seb definitely ain't stupid!
> 
> Now, the next chapter is going to be interesting, and you'll see why when it's posted. I'm a bit nervous about it, but hopefully, you guys will still enjoy it. Let's just say it won't be from either Aaron or Rob's POV...
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments! And thank you so much for your constant support!


	16. Everything can change in just one day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter I was really nervous about, but I hope you guys still enjoy it. 
> 
> Please don't hate me for the ending of this! I promise there will be a happy ever after, but there will also be a little bit of angst for the next couple of chapters.

It was two days before Christmas eve, three days since he had left for his business trip, and Conner was driving slowly through the village, his briefcase next to him on the passenger seat, as he was on his way back to the mill.

He was so tired from his trip, the last few days being a charade of people-pleasing and wining and dining, his aim to try and win over the new client so he could get his end of year bonus. It wasn't like Aaron didn't know he was a workaholic, but Conner still felt bad that he had abandoned him only a few days before Christmas. 

He knew Aaron had been stressed lately, and he had a feeling it was because Robert was in town. It had only been a month and the man had managed to make his fiance feel on edge. It wasn't his ideal situation, but he knew he had to trust Aaron. He had said yes to him after all. He was engaged to him. 

As far as Conner was concerned, Robert was history.

But it always managed to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, whenever he thought about his fiance's ex-husband. He knew the stories, he'd heard the rumours. They were like magnets to each other, and this only caused Conner to feel anxious every time he saw them near each other.

But Aaron was his. Not Roberts.

His.

And Conner continuously reminded himself of that fact.

But the last three days had been causing his anxiety to sky-rocket, just thinking of what was happening in the village while he wasn't in town. He wasn't able to get out of it though, his boss telling him last minute that he needed him to cover for him with these clients because he was going to France for the Christmas holidays with his family.

He knew it would disappoint Aaron, knowing the other man had something he needed to talk to him about, and he had tried hard to convince his boss that he didn't need to be there for three days, but to no avail.

But now he was back in the village, and he knew that whatever Aaron needed to talk to him about, they would get through it together. 

He hadn't had a coffee yet though, so he quickly pulled up to the cafe before he headed back to the mill. When he walked through the doors, he noticed Victoria Sugden about to walk out, coffee cup in hand. She looked up at him briefly, and when their eyes connected, she rolled them.

He'd heard rumours about what had happened to her all those years ago, the thing that had led to Robert going to prison, and he thought it was horrible. He actually felt bad for the things that he had said to her when she and her brother had first shown up to the village.

He may have had harsh feelings towards her brother, but Victoria, he didn't have a problem with. 

"Hi," Conner said then, trying to catch her before she walked out of the cafe. She came to a stop suddenly and spun round to face him. Her face was ridden in disinterest, almost like she wished she was speaking to anybody else.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone just as disapproving, and he swallowed a lump in his throat as he came to stand in front of her.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Vic raised her left eyebrow in response.

"Whatever," she started to turn around again, and Conner felt a sharp burst of animosity at her unwillingness to speak to him. He wasn't doing anything, he was just trying to apologise.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you all those weeks ago in the pub, It was uncalled for," he said as he quickly moved to stand in her way. She let out an exaggerated sigh as he stood in front of her, looking at the door behind him that led outside to the village.

"I don't really care what you think," she said, shrugging this time, and still refusing to meet his eye.

"I don't want any hard feelings between us," he said, 

"There's no hard feelings, just indifference," she gave him a tight smile and shrugged.

Conner sighed then, watching as Victoria took a sip of coffee from her cup as she started heading towards the door,

"Well, how was the gift that Adam got for you?" he asked, wanting to see if that would make her warm up to him; he hated it when people didn't like him. But she just spun around again slowly, her brow raised in confusion.

"What are you even talking about?" she asked, and Conner gave her a perplexed look.

"The other day... he and Aaron were finding something to surprise you with," he said, but she continued to stare at him with that same confused look. Conner was starting to feel confused himself now, doubt starting to creep into his mind as Victoria looked like she had no idea what he was going on about.

"He hasn't given you anything?" he asked, his voice sounding unsure now. Victoria just shook her head slowly, but she didn't seem at all phased by the puzzled look on his face.

"I'm going to go now," she said as she started edging towards the door.

Doubt was really starting to settle in now, as he realised Aaron's excuse the other day had been a complete lie. If he hadn't been trying to find a gift for Victoria, then where on earth had he been?

He wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt though, knowing that if he started to think about it too much, his thoughts would just lead to a place that he knew they wouldn't come back from.

Robert.

Conner just brushed the idea away. It couldn't have been, there's no way that Aaron would do that to him. He wasn't like that, he would never hurt him like that.

But then where had he been?

Bob had been trying to catch his attention, to see what coffee order he wanted, but Conner just brushed him off, storming out of the cafe a moment later and getting back into his car. His brow was furrowed as he let his thoughts start to run rampant.

It was only a few minutes later when he parked his car outside the mill. He looked up at his home, the nerves starting to settle in his stomach. 

He had been gone for three days.

Three days with Aaron and Robert in the same village. Three days without Conner being there to get in the way.

He didn't want to believe it, but it was niggling at the back of his mind, the thought that it could have been easy for them, easy enough to imagine that he never even existed, so easy for them to get back to the domestic loving life they used to live.

When he walked through the front door of the mill, he was met with nothing but silence. He expected to see Aaron and Seb just sitting on the sofa, but neither of them was to be found. Conner was confused, as the house seemed to be completely empty. 

"Aaron?" he asked, and again he was met with nothing but silence. 

He decided to look around the rest of the house then but was met with the realisation that nobody seemed to be home. 

Conner pulled his phone out from his back pocket and quickly dialed his fiance's number. It didn't take him long to answer the phone.

"Conner?" Aaron said on the other end of the line.

"Hey, I'm at home, where are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. Aaron breathed heavily on the other end of the line.

"I'm at the scrapyard, we have a last-minute run to Newcastle tonight, so I'm helping Adam load the truck," he said, and Conner felt a warm cloud of relief wash over him when he heard the clitter clatter of metal being thrown around in the background. At least he wasn't lying to him now.

"I'll come up, I wanna see you," Conner stated, and he heard Aaron sigh again through the phone.

"Okay, see you soon," he said quickly before he hung up the phone. 

He then headed back to his car, apprehensive now about seeing his fiance after three days, nervous to think about what he had to say to him. His gut was churning, and his thoughts were driving him mad. 

He had no idea what to think as he started driving towards the scrapyard.

* * *

Conner was at the scrapyard in no less than 10 minutes and was met with a flourish of activity. Adam, Aaron and to his great surprise, Robert, were loading piece after piece of metal into the awaiting truck. All three of them were wearing a hi-vis and they all looked wrecked.

Aaron saw him approach then, and his face looked like he was caught off guard by his sudden appearance. He removed his gloves as he started to walk towards him, meeting him halfway across the yard. Conner noticed his fiance taking a brief look back at Robert who had also noticed him by this point, but before his and Conner's eyes could connect properly, the blonde man had gone back to piling scrap into the truck.

"How are you?" Aaron asked him then, and Conner tried to ignore the almost guilty look on the other man's face. He didn't want to believe anything, he was just seeing things at this point, things that he knew in his heart weren't there.

"Good, I would ask the same, but you're looking a bit run off your feet," Conner said, pointing his head towards Adam and Robert who were still by the truck. Aaron nodded, letting out a breath, which came out as a cloud of condensation in the cold winter air. 

"I got a call yesterday from the blokes from Newcastle. They said they would pull their contract if we didn't get a run in by tonight," Aaron said, and Conner raised a brow in surprise. He then looked over Aaron's shoulder to Robert who was lifting a piece of an old car frame onto the truck.

"So you're recruiting people now, are you?" he asked, his voice laced in annoyance, and Aaron turned to see what Conner was referring to. He turned back, swallowing a lump in his throat and shook his head.

"He was here doing accounts...noticed we needed the help," Aaron said pointedly, and Conner just nodded, refusing to say anything in response to that, his eyes not leaving Aaron's ex-husband for a second, seemingly watching the man like a hawk.

"Conner?" Aaron said, trying to regain his attention, and eventually, Conner returned his gaze to his fiance.

"You needed to talk to me about something," Conner said then, and Aaron's face looked like it was turning pale at his words. He still nodded though, and he noticed the man taking a big gulp, glancing briefly to Robert again and then back to him.

Conner tried to ignore the knowing feeling in his stomach, the realisation that something definitely wasn't right starting to creep into his mind. 

But he buried the feeling, dreading to think of the words that were soon to be coming from Aaron's mouth.

"I don't have time right now. But it is important Conner," he said, and Conner nodded, smiling tightly at his fiance.

"We'll talk when you're finished here," he said, noticing what had started out as a feeling of dread, slowly starting to dissipate into anger. Aaron took another glance back to Robert behind them. Conner couldn't help but grit his teeth. 

He watched on as Aaron's phone started to ring a moment later and the man brought the device from his pocket, putting it to his ear.

"Seb?" he said, and Conner watched as Aaron listened intently to his son on the other end of the line.

"Shoot, okay..I'll figure something out. Just wait at the station, okay?" he said, and Conner looked down to the ground, kicking a stone as he waited for his fiance to hang up.

"Alright, I'll see you soon bud," he hung up a moment later and looked flustered as he took a look back at the truck, then to the phone in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Conner asked, and Aaron turned to look at him, swallowing a nervous lump in his throat.

"Seb's in Hotten; he was doing some Christmas shopping with a mate from school, but the bus back to the village has been canceled," Aaron said, and Conner could see the other man starting to look distressed.

That's when Conner noticed Robert walking over, obviously having heard his son's name come up.

"Everything alright?" he asked, and Conner felt his stomach churn just at the sound of the man's voice. He still didn't know if anything was even going on, but he noticed the way that Robert was looking at his fiance, and the fury inside him was starting to escalate.

"Seb's stranded in Hotten," Aaron said, and Robert's demeanor suddenly turned into worry.

"I'll go get him," he said quickly, as he started to take off his gloves, but Aaron stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"The bus isn't running, and you don't have a car,"

"Well, you can't go, you need to help Adam; you only have an hour left before he needs to get on the road," Robert said. Aaron forced his eyes closed, his affliction on full show.

"I can do it," Conner said then, and both Robert and Aaron turned to look at him, their faces unsure. "It's not like it's the first time I've picked him up," he said incredulously.

Aaron started to nod his head then, and Conner looked at Robert, who was staring back at him. His face was one etched in suspicion, but at that moment, he chose to ignore it.

"He's at Hotten bus station," Aaron said, and Conner nodded in response. 

"We'll be back before you know it," he said before he headed to his car. As he got into the vehicle, he decided to watch the two men closely. Robert was still watching him in his car, but Aaron had turned to face the other man, his expression still showing his distress. 

Conner didn't know what to think then, as he started to pull out of the yard. But that churning feeling in his stomach was still there, and it was starting to eat away at him.

* * *

Seb was standing outside the old station, thankful that he had his wooly coat on as he waited for his Dad to come and pick him up. It was looking like it was going to snow, as the air was freezing and the clouds above were almost black with moisture. His mate's dad had just come and picked him up, so now he was all by himself.

There were plenty of people around, so it wasn't like he was alone. He was literally stranded though, as the bus had been canceled due to 'low visibility'. He hoped to god that his Dad wasn't too far away as he just wanted to be home.

However, about 10 minutes later, he noticed what looked like Conner's bright red car drive up into the stations pick up and drop off zone, and he tried to contain his outward groan as he realised his Dad's fiance was the one that was to pick him up.

He hated this. He would rather stay out in the cold than travel in the same car as him, but he also wanted a shower, and his bed, and right now it looked like Conner was his only option.

He walked over to the vehicle then and opened the passenger door. He was met with a slight smile from Conner as he waited for Seb to get into the car. 

"It's you," Seb said begrudgingly and Conner just rolled his eyes at the boy's tone.

"Do you want a ride or not?" he asked, and Seb just sighed heavily as he climbed into the vehicle. Once he had shut the passenger door, that's when Conner started to drive out of the station. 

"Why couldn't one of my Dad's pick me up?" Seb asked, but this just caused Conner to roll his eyes again.

"Because, Aaron had to sort out something at the scrapyard, and Robert's too poor to afford an actual car."

"Hey!" Seb protested, and Conner just smirked. 

"Calm down, I'm just taking the mick," he said, keeping his attention on the road. Seb looked outside and felt like he could barely see anything in front of them for more than 100 meters. Conner was taking his time though, but Seb now understood why the bus had been canceled. It looked terrifying out there.

"So did you have a good day?" Conner asked him then, but Seb just shrugged, reluctant to make small talk with this man that he despised, this man that only seemed to want to make constant digs at his father. His silence only seemed to aggravate Conner though, as the man scoffed in response.

"I still don't get it," Conner said, and Seb looked at him, raising his brow in confusion as the man continued to speak, "Why do you hate me? What have I ever done to you?" he asked.

Seb shook his head in response, not wanting to get into this now. He just wanted Conner to focus on the winding road.

"It's none of your business," Seb said, and this caused Conner to scoff once more.

"It's not my business to know the reason you hate me?" he asked.

"It's not your business to pretend you fit into my life, to pretend to be my Dad, when I already have two that love and care for me more than you ever have," Seb snapped. Conner clenched his jaw then, and Seb watched as the man's hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"You think Robert actually cares for you? Did you forget the part where he shut you and Aaron out of his life for good?" Conner said, and Seb shook his head in disdain as he looked up to his Dad's fiance. "I've been there for you the last few years more than he ever has,"

"You mean the times where you pretended to care about me just so you could get into my Dad's good books?" Seb said, "Let's not forget the time you made me stay over at Isaac's because you didn't want me around. Or the time when you made plans to go on holiday over Christmas, without inviting me? Or the time I broke my leg at school, and you were annoyed because it ruined the plans you had with Dad that night," 

Conner still had his fists grasped tightly around the steering wheel, his breathing getting heavier as Seb continued to speak these home truths.

"Look, all I've ever cared about is your Dad," Conner said,

"If you really loved him, you would have accepted the fact that I'm in his life, but you've always wanted me out of the way!" Seb said, "Rob cares for him just as much as you do, if not more, and he's never once made me feel like I'm some kind of imposter. You! You always made me feel that way, in my own home and all,"

"Well Robert's not with your Dad, I am!" Conner snapped, and this time it was Seb's turn to scoff.

"Please, we both know that's not true," he said turning back to face the road. Suddenly Conner's breathing changed, his face blank, and his knuckles white by this point as his grip on the wheel tightened even more.

"Don't pretend you don't see it," Seb said, knowing that he was tormenting him now, but he just wanted Conner to understand that nobody wanted him around anymore, nobody wanted him in the village anymore.

"You're just a stupid kid that wants your parents back together, like some hopeless romantic. Aaron wants to be with me, you're just reading into everything." Conner said, and Seb could sense that he was feeling unsure of himself now.

"I've seen them together!" Seb said then and Conner parted his lips to show he was gritting his teeth, "The other night when you were gone. Robert stayed over. I saw them kissing!" Seb carried on, and it seemed like Conner was a bull seeing red then.

"I don't believe you!" Conner said, and Seb shook his head as he took in the man's posture. His shoulders were tense, and he was extending his arms, pushing himself back into his seat as he continued to stare out the windshield to the winding road in front of them.

"Have you not seen it?" Seb said and watched as Conner swallowed a lump in his throat. "They can never stop looking at each other! They still love each other! You're the only thing in the way at this point!" 

It was then that Seb noticed Conner wasn't paying attention to him anymore, he was lost in his own thoughts. He watched as the man slowly started to extend his foot towards the accelerator. Seb gulped as he looked between him and the road, noticing that the trees that were sweeping past them outside were becoming more of a blur than they had been before. 

He could feel the car continue to speed up, and fear started to ignite in the pit of the young boy's stomach. What was Conner doing? Why was he going faster? 

They could still barely see anything in front of them, the clouds too thick to see anything in the distance. Seb's heart was beating so hard and so fast at this point, he had no idea what was going to happen.

"Conner? Slow down!" he said, but it didn't seem to deter the older man, whose face was ridden in nothing but pure anger. The harsh lines of his face only made Seb feel even more distress as the road continued to wind in front of them, the semblance of snow starting to fall onto the windshield. He expected Conner to turn on the windshield wipers but the other man seemed to be frozen.

"Conner!" Seb begged again, but it didn't manage to change anything as the snow started to pile up. If Seb thought they couldn't see anything before, now they were practically blind. 

"Please Conner, stop the car!" he was pleading with him now, "I didn't mean it! I didn't see anything. There's nothing going on between them!" he was trying to think of anything to say to the other man, trying to get him to calm down, to rid himself of the anger he was feeling, but nothing was working.

He just kept his foot firmly on the accelerator, going around each winding corner at such speed, Seb felt like he was going to be sick at any given second.

But, that's when Seb saw the headlights appear in the distance.

His heart sunk, when he heard the sound of a car horn.

"Conner!" he screamed, but it didn't stop him. It didn't stop it. It didn't stop the pain and the anguish and horror from happening. 

There was a bang, the sound of a heavy impact roaring through the cold winter air. It was like a thousand gongs going off, the resonance vibrating the drums inside Seb's mind.

He could sense the rolling of the car, his body spiraling through the air, his head hitting the window harder than he could have imagined.

And just like that, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conner is an arsehole. A big arsehole living in denial land. 
> 
> The next chapter will be the aftermath of the crash. Don't worry - Seb will be okay. Please don't hate me! 
> 
> Thank you for all the amazing comments in the last chapter - you guys always fill me with such motivation. I really love hearing what you think of the story, and I know it might not be going in the way you expect it to, but please know that there will be a happy ending!


	17. Nobody can stop these tears I cry

The sky above was dark, snow now piling down at this point, like ice-white dust. Aaron could see that the weather was really packing in, instantly feeling worried about the fact that Adam would be driving out in this. It wasn't like it was a 30-minute drive up the road. He would be driving a long stretch, and it was going to be dangerous. 

They had just finished piling the last of the scrap onto the back of the truck, and Adam was already sitting patiently in the driver's seat. Aaron had his hood pulled over his head, protecting his eyes from the snow, but he still squinted as he pulled the tarpaulin over the top of the heavy metal. 

He looked over to Robert, who had been helping with the other side of the tarpaulin, as they both took a step away from the truck. Aaron gave him an appreciative smile, as he then directed his attention to his best mate. He went to stand by the driver's window, Adam watching him through the side mirror as he approached.

"All loaded," Aaron said, and Adam nodded.

"Sweet," 

"You be careful, yeah?" Aaron said, taking another look up at the thick clouds above them. The weather had really come out of nowhere.

"I'll be fine mate," Adam said and Aaron nodded, an unsure look still etched across his face. 

"Alright, well take breaks and tell me where you're at, okay?" Aaron said, his brow raised skeptically. Adam smiled at him, reaching his arm out of the truck and patting his best mate on the shoulder.

"Of course mate," he said, "I best get going now though, otherwise it's just going to get worse." Adam looked up at the sky then, his face also showing a slight tinge of worry.

Aaron backed away from the truck, as the other man started to wind up his window. He went and stood next to Robert then, and they both watched through the snow as Adam fired up the engine. 

"He'll be alright," Robert said, looking at the worry on the other man's face. Aaron let out a heavy breath as he continued to watch his best mate drive out of the yard. He really was starting to hate the men in suits from Newcastle who continued to treat them like slave labour. Aaron knew they were being greedy, but to actually pull Adam away from his family this close to Christmas, it was unforgivable. Aaron had started wondering if it was worth continuing their contract, but he knew it would be difficult finding another port that would help them turn around as much revenue as they did now.

He still hated it though, and now, even more, when Adam was about to drive in this dangerous weather.

"Come on, we'll head to the pub yeah?" Robert suggested, and Aaron was forced from his reverie as he looked over to his husband.

"Yeah, alright," Aaron said, knowing that he deserved a pint after the day's work. They both headed into the portacabin to gather their things.

As he took his gloves off and started to look for his car keys, Robert was watching him from across the room, a slightly worried look on his face. 

"Aaron," he said, an unsure tone in his voice. He turned to face him then, knowing what was on his mind instantly.

Conner was home, and now he was wondering what this would mean for them.

"Yeah?"

"I know I said I wouldn't rush you, but Conner's home now and..." Robert paused, looking like he was unable to gather what to say next. Aaron looked at him and smiled kindly.

"I'll talk to him tonight, I promise," he said, and Robert nodded his head.

"When they get back, I'll take Seb for some tea. I'm sure Diane will love to see him," 

"They should almost be back by now. I'll text Conner to meet us at the pub," Aaron grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly typed out a message, then turned back to face the other man.

"You ready to go then?" Robert asked. Aaron nodded, and they exited the portacabin, heading towards Aaron's car on the other side of the yard.

* * *

It was only a few minutes later when they both walked into the pub, instantly struck with the bustling crowd of villagers enjoying their daily pint. It looked like it would be difficult for them to find a booth, so they settled at the bar. Chas and Paddy were behind it, serving customers when they both turned to face the pair of them. 

They both had curious looks on their faces as they noticed the two of them had walked in together. But they didn't mention it, as they walked over to greet their son.

"How was loading the truck?" Paddy asked him and Aaron sighed audibly as he looked over to his father.

"It was a nightmare," he said. Paddy nodded, patting his son's shoulder in reassurance, as Chas started to pull him a pint. 

"Did Adam get on the road in time?" Chas asked, looking over at him, and Aaron proceeded to nod his head. 

"Yeah, Rob helped load it, so it saved us a lot of time," 

His mother looked over to her son's ex-husband, her eyes showing her surprise.

"That was nice of you," she said, as she placed the lager in front of Aaron on the bar.

"Yeah, they looked slammed, so it was the least I could do," Robert responded.

"What can I get you?" Chas asked him, "On the house."

Robert smiled warmly at her then, glad to see that she was so accepting of him. 

"Where's Conner?" Paddy asked then, looking between his son and his ex-husband, an almost suspicious look on his face. Aaron had been in the middle of swallowing down a sip of his pint, as he then placed the glass down.

"He went and picked Seb up from Hotten," he told him, and Paddy nodded. Aaron tried to ignore the way he seemed to be pressing his lips together as he continued to stare between the two of them. 

"They should be back soon," Robert said.

Just then Liv walked into the pub, her thick coat covered in snow. They all turned to look at her as she found a seat next to Robert at the bar.

"God, the snow is really piling up out there," she said. Robert smirked as he brushed some of the snow off her shoulder. She smiled in response as she took the jacket off, revealing her maroon sweater underneath.

"Looks like it'll be a white Christmas then, Seb and Henry will be ecstatic," Paddy said with a laugh. They all turned to look at him, the edges of their lips all turning up into a smile at the thought of the two boys playing in the snow on Christmas Day.

"Will Adam be alright love?" Chas asked then, turning back to Aaron.

"I told him to keep checking in," he replied. Chas shook her head then,

"Those Newcastle blokes really are horrid," 

"Tell me something I don't already know," Aaron said. 

"He'll be fine, I'm sure," Liv said. Aaron nodded as he then pulled his phone from his pocket, looking to see if his best mate had given him an update yet.

That's when his fiance's name flashed across his screen. Aaron screwed up his forehead, confused as to why Conner would be calling him as he told him to meet him at the pub. 

He quickly pressed the green button, accepting the call, before placing the device to his ear. 

"Conner?" he said, and that was when he heard the sound of sirens in the background. His heart suddenly plummeted when he realised that something must not be right. The others in front of him had obviously picked up on this, as they all turned to look at him, curious looks on their faces.

"Aaron?" he heard Conner say. He could hear how shaky his fiance's voice sounded on the other end of the line. 

"Conner, what's happening?" Aaron asked quickly, panic starting to settle in now.

"Something bad has happened," his fiance said, and Aaron could hear that the other man was almost close to tears.

"What Conner?" Aaron was begging him now. He could see the panicked glances coming from his family then, as they realised that there must have been something wrong.

"There's been an accident," he heard Conner say, and Aaron felt like he was about to drop the phone.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked him quickly, and he heard Conner sniffle on the other end of the line.

"The ambulance is here. They think I've fractured my arm...but..." he carried off, almost like he couldn't say what was coming next. But Aaron suddenly had a knowing feeling settle into his gut.

"Where's Seb?" Aaron asked, his voice quiet and eery now. Robert was next to him, and he could sense the other man's shoulders tensing up.

"It's bad Aaron," Conner cried, and that's when he screwed his eyes shut in anguish.

"No, no, no" Aaron said, shaking his head as his heart continued to beat faster than he could handle.

"Aaron, what is it?" Robert asked, his own voice sounding cautious as he watched Aaron's resolve start to run away from him.

"What's happened, love?" Chas asked, her maternal instincts starting to settle in as she saw the torment on her son's face.

"Conner? What's happened to Seb?" Aaron demanded, but all he could hear was his fiance's heavy breathing on the other end of the line.

"I'll explain...but you need to get to the hospital" he cried, and Aaron's brow furrowed then, hating not knowing what was happening.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, just stay with him, keep an eye on him!" Aaron said before he hung up. As soon as the line was cut he turned to his family's worried faces.

"They were in an accident!" Aaron cried, cupping his mouth as his breathing grew heavier.

"Oh god," Chas said, shaking her head like she didn't want to believe it. She brought her hands to her own face then, and Aaron watched as Paddy instantly placed a reassuring arm around her.

"What's happened to Seb?" Robert asked, his eyes wide and his voice desperate at this point. Aaron turned to look at his husband and started shaking his head.

"Apparently he's not good," 

"We need to go then! Now!" Robert said, his face falling instantly as he started to get out of his chair.

"I can drive you!" Liv said, and they both turned to her, "None of you can drive in the state you're in! Come on!" she said, and they started to move.

"We're coming with you!" Chas said then, and she turned to Charity who was with Vanessa, sitting on the other side of the pub. The two women had obviously noticed that something was going on. In fact, the whole pub had at this point as they all watched with worried eyes as Aaron and Robert continued to fluster. 

"I'll cover...go!" Charity said as she got up to walk behind the bar. Vanessa followed suit and Chas gave them an appreciative smile as she and Paddy walked out from behind the bar, meeting Aaron and Robert who were standing by the door.

"Keep us posted yeah?" Vanessa called; the two women and the rest of the room watching the worried family rush out of the pub. They saw Paddy nod, and then they were gone.

The whole pub was silent now. No one said a word, as the haunting feeling of concern settled throughout the room. 

* * *

It didn't take them long to reach the hospital. Liv had gone as fast as she could, but still managing to keep a watchful eye on the road. She also kept an eye out for her brother and his husband, who both seemed stone-cold and silent, neither of them saying a single word on the whole trip to the hospital.

It had been an eery ride, but now they were rushing through the doors of the emergency room. Aaron was in front, rushing towards the reception desk, Robert close behind him. The lady at the desk stood up as they approached her, noticing the worried looks on their faces.

"Can I help you?" she asked cautiously.

"Our son, he's just been brought in. He was in an accident. Sebastian White," Aaron said quickly, trying to get the words out before he burst into tears. Robert placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, trying to get his husband to calm down, but he himself felt like he was going to break at any given second.

The lady behind the desk nodded, her eyes wide with sorrow as she looked down at the computer in front of her.

"It looks like the doctors are still running some tests. I don't believe he was conscious at the time he was brought in," she said as she looked up at the two men. They both stood shocked, neither of them noticing the rest of the family as they tried to comfort them.

Robert was shaking his head, not wanting to believe that this was actually happening. 

He just wanted to know, that now when he was just starting to get his life back, everything had to be pulled out from under him once more. He didn't want this. This shouldn't be happening, not to Seb.

Not to his Seb.

He was too innocent and far too good for this world. Why did this have to happen to him?

"He would have been with my fiance, Conner Hughes?" Aaron asked, his face written in an overwhelming level of concern. The lady smiled warmly though, staring at him with a soft gaze.

"Conner's upstairs now, in a family waiting room. I can take you to him if you like?" she said, and Aaron looked like he had some kind of relief wash over him then. He nodded, and that's when the lady started to lead them upstairs.

It didn't take long for them to be led to the waiting room, and once the door opened they were met with a very disheveled looking Conner, the man's face covered in cuts, a cast on his right arm, and a horrified look etched across his face, his eyes staring into space as it seemed the images of the crash continued to plague his mind.

"Conner!" Aaron said with relief, and that's when the man jumped out of his seat, launching himself into his fiance's arms.

"I'm so glad to see you!" he cried.

"Conner, what happened?" Aaron asked into the other man's shoulder. Robert watched the two of them, his gut-churning as he stood with bated breath, wanting to know what had led to the crash. He knew there had been really bad weather out there, but something else must have happened?

Conner wasn't moving away from Aaron though, his eyes shut firmly as he breathed into the other man's neck, holding him so tightly like he never wanted to let him go ever again.

"Conner?" Aaron asked again, but it seemed the other man wasn't going to budge. However, Robert noticed him open his eyes then, and he was confronted with one of the harshest glares he had ever seen. 

Robert raised his brow as he continued to hold Conner's gaze, the other man not taking his eyes away from him. It was like he was trying to read him or something, and all it did was make Robert feel even more on edge than he already had been.

Chas, Paddy, and Liv were also looking on, but they seemed to have worried looks etched across their faces as they took in Conner's demeanor. The man looked broken, there was no other way of putting it. They didn't seem to notice his glare, but Robert could sense nothing but animosity coming from the man.

"Conner, please tell us what happened," Aaron begged, and this time Conner finally pulled away, wiping away a tear as he moved back to his seat.

"I don't know," he started, and this just caused everybody to stare at him with confused looks etched across their faces. Conner looked away, shaking his head as he stared into space.

"The fog was so thick, I could barely see anything, and then the next thing I know...we're crashing into an oncoming car, and there's nothing I can do to stop it!" Conner cried, and Robert blew out a sharp breath as he took in everything the man was saying.

"Did you see what happened to Seb?" Robert asked, but Conner didn't look at him. He noticed the man seemed to be clenching his jaw as Robert spoke, and this only spiked his uneasiness even more.

"I don't know. The next thing I know, I'm lying in the car wreckage, my arm is in absolute agony. The car had rolled down the bank off the side of the road, and we'd hit a tree. I turned to look at Seb, checking to see if he was okay and he wasn't responding!" Conner explained. Robert looked at Aaron then noticing the way he gasped for breath, his tears falling from his eyes at full force now. They were like a river, cascading down his cheeks, and all he wanted to do was reach out and comfort him. 

He could feel his own knot in his stomach as he thought about his son, lifeless and cold in the harsh winter weather. He thought he was going to be sick, just thinking about it. 

"I called 999 immediately. I saw the wreckage of the other car up the bank. I tried to call out to see if anybody would respond. But nobody was!" Conner exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Liv asked, and Conner turned to her and nodded.

"I was lucky I guess, just a fracture," he said as he held up the cast on his arm. "But Seb..." his face turned up in anguish then, and Robert couldn't help but clench his teeth at the thought of Conner walking scott free while his son suffered.

He knew it was an awful thought, brushing it away as soon as it crossed his mind.

Just then, a doctor walked into the room, a clipboard in his hand.

"Sebastian White's family?" he asked, trying to get everybody's attention. They all turned to face him then, intent on finding out if Seb would be okay. 

"I'm Dr. Crawford," he stated kindly, a reassuring tone to his voice as he looked back at all of their panicking faces.

"Is he okay?" Paddy asked then, and the doctor blew out a deep breath.

"It seems Sebastian hit his head quite hard as the car rolled. It caused quite a bit of swelling of his brain," the doctor explained. Robert thought he would be sick then and there, as he looked over to Aaron who was shaking his head quickly, not wanting to hear any more of what the doctor was saying.

"Due to the swelling, some parts of Seb's brain were starved of oxygen for some time. We're not sure how long this went on for, but in order for him to make any kind of recovery we've had to put him into an induced coma," the doctor explained. 

Everybody stared at the doctor wide-eyed, nobody saying a word. 

"We will continue to monitor him. We will try and bring him out of the coma in a few days, but for now, his brain needs to recover," Dr. Crawford said. 

"Can we see him?" Aaron asked, his voice cracking as he continued looking with wide eyes to the doctor.

"Of course, but note that he is in a fragile state," he said. "Maybe just his parents first?" 

They both nodded, but Robert took a brief look back to Conner who was glaring at him once more. He seemed to be clenching his jaw, hard, and it seemed his temple was throbbing, his face flushed with anger. Robert was confused then, wondering what the heck was his problem?

He chose to ignore it, only having enough energy to focus on his son right now. 

He and Aaron followed the doctor a moment later, as he led them to Seb's room. They both let out astonished gasps as they entered, caught off guard by the loud beeps coming from the heart monitor. 

It was an awful sight to see, Seb just lying there, hooked up to so many machines, his body looking so fragile and small in the big hospital bed. Robert hated it, he didn't want to face up to the fact that this was actually happening.

He felt hot tears travel down his cheeks, walking over to the bed then as he took in his son. He looked so innocent, so young. It was breaking his heart to see him like this, with cuts scattering his body, a bandage wrapped around his head. He looked so broken, and it only made Robert's heart ache.

"Are you okay?" Aaron asked him, and that's when he remembered his husband was standing right next to him.

"Of course not," Robert stated, as he looked back at the man who was standing beside him. He also looked wrecked, his eyes red raw from all the tears he'd let fall. "Are you?" he asked him, but Aaron shook his head. 

"No, I can't believe this is happening," Aaron said, another gasp for air escaping his lips.

Robert looked back to Seb, as he reached down and grabbed the young boy's hand.

"He doesn't deserve this. He's such an amazing kid, why did this have to happen to him?"

"I'm trying to wrap my head around it as well," Aaron said a moment later. That's when he looked to the closed door of the room, Dr. Crawford having left them alone to be with their son. Aaron reached down then and grabbed Robert's hand in his. It was a small comfort, but it didn't take anything away from the pain that Robert was feeling.

"I was just getting to know him again!" Robert exclaimed, falling into the seat beside Seb's bed. Aaron had to try and hold back his flood of tears as he took in the anguish on his husband's face.

"And you will, okay?" Aaron said, leaning down to kneel beside Robert. "He's not going anywhere, okay?" 

But all Robert was focusing on now was Seb, as he continued to hold his hand firmly in his. He just wished he would open his eyes, crack a joke, ask him questions, just be Seb. But he didn't and all the man felt was anger as the realisation washed over him.

"Please be okay," he pleaded with the boy, but of course, he was again met with the eery beeps of the heart monitor.

He couldn't face it anymore, looking back up to Aaron with tears in his eyes.

"How did this happen, Aaron? How could they have crashed just like that? Surely Conner would have seen headlights in the distance or something, tried to cross back over the line, anything. It doesn't make any sense."

"It was just a terrible accident, Robert," Aaron said, trying to hold onto his composure, but he knew he would soon be failing.

"Something must have happened for them to just lose control like that!" Robert exclaimed, but Aaron just closed his eyes shut, not wanting to focus on the crash, just on their son getting better.

"I don't know what happened, Rob," he said. Robert swallowed a lump in his throat.

"No, but Conner does, he has too," 

"He said he doesn't remember," Aaron said with a shrug,

"You don't believe that, do you? Did you not notice the glares he was giving me in there?"

"Are you suggesting he did this on purpose?" Aaron asked, a tinge of anger starting to course through him. He may have decided that he wanted to be with Robert, but that didn't mean he thought Conner would do something this awful on purpose.

"The guy's a psycho Aaron, I've known that from the moment I first showed up here," 

"Why would he do this though?" 

"I don't know because he hates me?" Robert said, but Aaron started shaking his head fiercely.

"He wouldn't do that, he gets angry, yes, but he would never hurt Seb,"

"You really believe that?" Robert asked, his voice soft now,

"I get it, Rob. Something awful has happened so you're trying to find someone to blame. But Conner wouldn't do this," Aaron said, looking over to Seb. He gulped as he took in the image of his son, his heart breaking all over again.

Robert continued to stare at his husband and eventually started to see sense. He knew it couldn't have been true. Sure, Conner was a nutter, but he tried to tell himself that he would never hurt Seb. 

"Look, I better go and call Bex," Aaron said after a moment, his tears starting to well up again. Robert stared at him wide-eyed, nodding his head slowly. 

"I'll keep an eye on him," Robert said, turning back to look at his son. He just looked like he was sleeping, and it didn't seem like he was in any sort of pain. Robert just wanted to be near him though. There was no way he would leave his side for one second.

He watched a moment later as Aaron pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed Bex's number as he started heading towards the door to the room.

"Yeah, Bex. It's me..." he started, but Robert didn't hear any more as he headed out of the room.

Robert knew he was being irrational. He knew that Conner had been doing them a favour, going to pick Seb up when neither of them could. He had to believe what Aaron was telling him, that this was just some kind of freak accident. It shouldn't have happened but it did.

But there was something niggling in the back of his mind, the idea that those glares that Conner had been shooting him earlier, they meant something. 

For some reason, Robert was making Conner angry and he knew something wasn't right.

But he couldn't focus on that right now. 

He just needed to be there for his son. He needed to be there for Seb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the last chapter, Seb will be okay... and Conner is an arsehole.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter - even though it may have been sad. In the next chapter more people react to Seb being in hospital - oh and yeah Rebecca will show up! Sorry if you're not a fan of her (I never used to be!) but I promise it will be good.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for the love and support for this fic. Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments!


	18. Your world is unraveling

"Conner Hughes, can we please speak to you for a moment?" one of the policemen said. It was getting cold in the waiting room, and the group of them were taking it in turns to keep Seb company. Liv was currently with him now, Aaron and Robert needing a breather, and not wanting to overcrowd their son.

Chas and Paddy had gone back to the village a few hours ago, to get a change of clothes for Seb when he would wake up, and also a few things for the rest of them.

However, now there were two policemen standing in front of them with bright yellow vests on, looking down at Conner with skepticism. 

Aaron was next to him, his brow arched as he stared between the two men and his fiance.

"What's this about?" Aaron asked, his voice rough, due to the quiet and somber vibe in the waiting room.

"Nothing to be worried about sir, we're just trying to piece together the crash," one of them responded. He had a moustache, and his hairline was receding. Aaron didn't know if the man was giving off a suspicious vibe, but the way he was staring at his fiance, it only spiked a feeling of uneasiness in his stomach.

"Will it take long?" Conner asked.

"If you co-operate," the other man said. This one seemed staunch, his shoulders broad. The look on his face indicated that he would much rather be anywhere else right now.

"Well, can we do it here? I want to be here in case their's any news about Seb."

Robert was watching on from behind them, and as soon as he heard Conner say this, he couldn't help but scoff. Conner turned and shot him a glare in response, but Robert ignored it and went back to minding his own business.

Aaron took a glance back to Robert as well, his face pleading with him to stop making digs, no matter how subtle they were. He didn't need any more heartbreak right now, and he could sense that his fiance was still feeling on edge.

Robert needed to get it out of his head that Conner had something to do with the crash. It wasn't helping anybody with him thinking that. Now it would be cleared up though, Aaron thought, now that the police were asking questions.

"What was your reason for being in the same car with Sebastian?" the man with the moustache asked. He and his partner had taken a seat now, getting down to business as they took glances up at Conner, who was shaking his leg uncontrollably. Aaron reached out and placed a reassuring hand over his fiances, wanting him to calm down so he could answer the questions.

"I was picking him up from the Hotten bus station. The bus had been canceled and he had no way of getting back to the village."

"Have you ever picked him up before, is this a regular occurrence?" 

"I'm with his father. I have been for three years, so yes, I have picked him up before in the past?" Conner was starting to sound defensive. And Aaron was wondering where the policeman's questions were heading. He could feel Conner's grip on his hands tightening, and Aaron could sense the man's nerves starting to get the better of him.

"What is the relationship like between you and Sebastian?" the broad-shouldered policeman asked. Conner raised a brow, obviously confused as these questions had nothing to do with the crash.

"I'm sorry, what are you getting from these questions?" Conner asked, his voice raising an octave. The policemen shared a look, which Aaron found all the more confusing.

"We have taken a statement from somebody who was in the oncoming car when you crashed," moustache man stated, and Aaron looked at Conner then, seeing the color drain from his face almost instantly. 

He didn't know where this conversation was going, but it did seem that Conner was suddenly more nervous than he had been before, and it made him begin to wonder why. He turned back to look at Robert for a brief moment, and the man wasn't taking his eyes off of Aaron's fiance. 

Aaron didn't know what to think or believe, as he turned to face the policemen again.

"Who?" Conner asked, his voice quiet and eery.

"A woman, she was in the passenger seat. Her husband had been driving, and he's currently in surgery." the broad-shouldered guy said. 

"What did she say?" Conner asked, a nervous crack appearing in his voice. Aaron was sad then, as he realised it wasn't just Seb and Conner who had been in the crash. He instantly felt sick at the thought of anybody else being hurt.

He turned to look at his fiance's face, showing no emotion whatsoever. It did nothing to take away the sick feeling, and it made Aaron begin to wonder why Conner was so dead-set on finding out what the lady had put in her statement.

The two policemen shared another look, and their glances to each other were unreadable. They turned back to Conner a moment later.

"We can't go into specifics. However, she's said that she saw your red car driving uncontrollably. She said you were crossing over the line, and no matter how many times her husband honked the horn, you didn't swerve out of the way."

Aaron was furrowing his brow now, as he kept looking between his fiance and the policemen.

"Conner, what are they talking about?" his fiance turned to face him, and the look on his face was nothing short of panicked. 

"Aaron..."

"Why didn't you swerve?"

"It all happened so quickly..." 

"Conner! What happened?" Aaron was begging him now, while the policemen waited patiently for a response, any sort of explanation for the reckless way Conner had been driving.

Aaron hadn't noticed until he was standing right behind them, but Robert had stood up, and the dark look in his eye was one that could only be described as deathly. He gulped, as he realised the look Robert was giving Conner now, was one that he had only ever seen him give one other person.

Lee Posner, 10 years ago.

And it scared Aaron to death.

"What happened?" Robert said, through clenched teeth, and that's when Conner turned to look at Aaron's ex-husband.

"Nothing! I ah..." Conner gulped, clenching his eyes shut, as it seemed he was trying to find his words.

"Obviously something happened Conner! To stop you from trying to swerve out of the way!" Aaron cried. He could feel tears start to prickle in his eyes, at the thought that maybe Robert had been right about him from the beginning.

"I didn't want to say anything..." Conner said then, and Aaron furrowed his brow, 

"What?" 

"Seb..." he started, "He grabbed the wheel. We had been arguing because he didn't like the fact that I was picking him up... He grabbed the wheel and forced us off the road," Conner said.

Aaron looked at him, his face blank, bar from the tear that quickly traveled down his cheek.

"Why would he do that?" Aaron asked, his voice quiet.

"I don't know, but it's what happened. I wanted to leave him out of this. I'm the only one you should blame,"

"Okay, I'll have no issue blaming you for any of this," Robert said from behind them

"Robert, just be quiet!" Aaron pleaded, but the other man was shaking his head viciously as he stared into his lover's eyes.

"You can't seriously believe that Seb would do anything like this. I may not have been in his life for very long, but even I know that he wouldn't do this. Why would he? Just because you both got into a tiff?"

"That's just it though, isn't it?" Conner said, standing up quickly to look at Robert, "You don't know him. You haven't been in his life for 10 years. You're basically strangers to each other, so no you don't really know him at all."

Robert looked at him, his teeth still visibly clenched, and Aaron could see the throbbing of his temple. The anger was coursing deep through Robert's veins, and it would only take one more straw to break the camels back, and just like that there would be no bringing him back from the edge.

"Conner, be quiet!" Aaron said, standing up to get in the middle of the two.

"You don't believe me?" Conner asked, looking at his fiance sadly.

"I don't know what to believe!" he yelled, looking over to the policemen who were still sitting in front of them. They both had very bored looks on their faces, and Aaron wished they would hurry up and actually do their jobs.

"Are you going to do anything? Say anything?" Aaron demanded at the pair of them.

"There's nothing really we can say," the moustache man said, and Aaron rolled his eyes. "We will have to wait until Sebastian is awake to find out if these events are true. Otherwise, Mr. Hughes, we have noted your statement, and we will be in touch".

Conner nodded, as he faced the two men, both of them sighing audibly as they got up from their seats. They were gone a moment later and it was the three of them again. 

It was silent between them, the air laced in tension, as nobody said a word. Aaron could sense that Robert was still silently seething, and would do anything to contain his resolve. It looked like steam was almost coming out of his ears though, and it sent a nervous tingling feeling down his spine at the thought of what he might do.

Conner was looking at him now, his eyes wide and wistful, looking for any sign that Aaron believed what he was saying. But Aaron didn't have it in him right now to think of what really happened.

No matter what way he looked at it, he only felt sick.

If Seb had really grabbed the wheel, then what were his reasons?

If he hadn't, and Conner was lying, what were his reasons to lose control?

"Aaron..." Conner said then, but Aaron shook his head fiercely, his face cold.

"I need some air."

"I'll come with you..." Robert said, but Aaron snapped his head to look at him.

"I want to be alone," and with that, he left the room.

* * *

Robert was still reeling from the events that had just played before him. He couldn't believe that Conner would try and blame this on Seb.

He was seething, and out for blood.

Conner had gone for a walk around the hospital, now it was only Robert by himself in the waiting room.

If Conner did one more thing to break his temper, he didn't know what he would do. Seb was his son. And he would protect him in an instant.

Now Conner was a threat.

Just at that moment, Liv walked into the room and Robert snapped his head to look at her.

"How is he?" he asked her as she came to stand beside him. She had a confused look on her face as she noticed the near-empty room.

"Where is everybody?" she asked, 

"Went to get some air. Is he okay?" She smiled sadly at his eagerness, placing a reassuring arm on his shoulder.

"There's no change. He looks like he's sleeping," she said, "Why don't you go and sit with him for a bit?" Robert nodded, as he started to get up from his chair.

"Okay, well, tell Aaron where I am when he gets back," 

"Will do," she said, and then he had left to go to Seb's room. He needed to hold his son's hand. He needed to be near him.

It didn't take long before he was sitting on the seat by his son's bed. The boy still looked so young and innocent, and Robert wanted to tuck him in, hide him away from the world so it couldn't hurt him anymore.

He would protect this boy until his last dying breath, and no way was he ever going to doubt him for one second. He would never have grabbed that wheel. He would never have put his or Conner's life in danger like that.

There's only one sick person who would ever do that and right now he was strolling the halls of the hospital.

It made him sick.

But now he had no doubt that the crash was Conner's fault. He wished Aaron could see that too. He knew the man didn't want to believe that his fiance was capable of this. It must have been a shock, to start realising that the man you've been with for over three years could actually be so cruel and vile to put a young boy's life at risk.

It would take him time, but he wished Aaron would realise the truth that was staring him right in the face. He needed Seb to wake up, to clear his name, and tell them all everything that had really happened.

"Robert?" 

Suddenly he was brought from his reverie as he looked over to the door of the room. To his shock, Rebecca White was there, looking at him as if he was a ghost.

"Bex?" he said, and it's like she noticed all at once that he was actually there.

"When were you going to tell me that you were out?" she said, her brow raised as she started moving further into the room. She asked the question, but as soon as her eyes landed on her son Robert knew he would be speaking to deaf ears. He could see the tears welling up in her eyes as she came to stand beside him, running a hand through his blonde locks of hair.

"My boy," she said, her voice cracking as she spoke. Robert instantly felt her pain, as he too looked down at his sleeping son.

"What happened?" she said quickly, snapping her head to look at him.

"He and Conner were on their way back from Hotten when the car crashed," She nodded,

"Aaron told me as much over the phone. I want to know why," 

"I can't be too sure," he replied a moment later. She responded by shaking her head fiercely,

"I want an answer, now," she said, and Robert knew that her maternal instincts had really started to kick in.

"Conner..." he carried off, as he didn't really know if he should share his suspicions with her. He was pretty sure they were true, but he didn't want Aaron to think he was going around spreading rumours. But he didn't need to say anymore, because as soon as she heard the name, she couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Conner fucking Hughes," she said, her tone dark, almost like she wanted to spit the words out of her mouth all together.

"So you're aware of the arsehole that is he," Robert stated, his face blank as he stared back at her.

"I've not had the pleasure of meeting him face to face, but I've heard the stories," Rebecca said.

"He's saying Seb grabbed the wheel, forcing them off the road," she snapped her head to look at him then, and it was like she was a bull seeing red.

"What, are you kidding me? What does Aaron have to say about this?" she demanded,

"He doesn't know what to believe," Robert said with a shrug. He wanted to believe so much that Aaron would be able to see right through the man, but right now it seemed he was in limbo. 

"What are you going to do?" Rebecca asked,

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, you obviously think Conner did this," she said as she looked down at their son. Robert gulped, nodding his head. "Well, are you going to tell Aaron about your suspicions or not?" 

"He seems pretty on edge as it is," Robert said, "I've already hinted at it, and it was like he didn't want to hear a word of it," 

"What is he even still doing with Conner...now that you're out. I would have thought you two...?" she carried off, but Robert looked away, refusing to say anything.

"Nevermind, you two are definitely banging," she said, and Robert raised his brow suddenly.

"What gave you that idea?" She gave him a deadpan look.

"Since when have significant others ever got in the way of what you both wanted," she said, and Robert sighed deeply, rolling his eyes. 

"Alright, touche,"

"Look, Conner should take it from me, there's no point getting in the way of what you two have..." she said, and Robert couldn't help but smirk. He watched then as Bex sat down on the foot of Seb's bed, stroking his hand softly. He could see the pain and anguish on her face as she took in her son. 

"Look...as much as I'm glad to see that you're out," Rebecca said, looking up at him again, "Do you mind if I have a moment with him?" 

Robert smiled warmly at her then, nodding his head. 

"Take as much time as you need," he said, and with that, he left the room.

As soon as he had entered the hallway, he noticed Vic and Diane standing outside of the waiting room. They both turned to look at him instantly, and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes again as he noticed the looks of pity they were shooting in his direction.

"Rob," Vic said as he approached, and he could see what looked like tear stains on her face. He was instantly pulled into a hug as soon as he was standing in front of her.

"Hey Vic, Diane," he said as he pulled away. Diane pulled him into a hug this time, and as she pulled away she grabbed hold of his cheeks, wiping away the stray tears that had fallen.

"How are you doing love?" she asked, and he swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked down to the ground.

"Been better, not going to lie." 

"How's Seb?" Victoria asked from beside them. He turned to look at her and shrugged.

"He's the same as when I called. Still in a coma. They're going to try and bring him around on Christmas eve," he said. 

"How about we go down to the caf, have a coffee?" Diane suggested, "When was the last time you ate love?" Robert shook his head, he didn't have a clue.

"I'll meet you down there," he said. The truth was, he had noticed Aaron appear at the end of the hallway behind his family, and he desperately needed to talk to him. 

Diane and Vic both turned to see the other man, and they instantly understood. They nodded their heads, and Vic placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as they started to head towards the elevator.

It didn't take long after that for Aaron to meet him halfway down the hallway.

"You okay?" Robert asked him,

"My head is mashed," 

"I'm really sorry about before," Aaron sighed deeply, looking down at the space between them.

"I get it, you're heads mashed too," he said, shrugging his shoulders in defeat, but Robert could feel there were things he wasn't saying.

"Bex is here, she just went in to see Seb," Robert told him. Aaron nodded, looking up again to meet his eyes.

"Can we talk?" Aaron asked, and Robert raised a brow skeptically. 

"Ah...yeah sure," he said, and a moment later Aaron directed him to an outdoor balcony near the elevator. He went and stood by the railing, and Robert sidled up next to him.

"I need you to know that I love you," Aaron said, and Robert gulped as he nodded his head, curious as to where the other man was going with this.

"I know you do," 

"But I've known Conner a long time, and I just can't get my head around the fact that he might have done this,"

"Aaron," Robert tried to interrupt, but Aaron cut him off.

"I need to say this, so let me, please," Robert swallowed a lump in his throat, nodding before letting him continue.

"I don't think Seb drove them off the road, so I can't explain what happened. But Conner couldn't have done this, I refuse to believe it, I don't see why he would possibly want to do this" he explained. "It will break me if he did this. It'd feel like I never really knew him."

"Aaron, he hasn't given you any reason to believe that he would do something like this, which is why it's such a shock,"

"I just need Seb to wake up and tell us the truth."

"He will," Robert tried to reassure him.

"What if he doesn't?" Aaron asked, and Robert noticed how small and innocent the other man's voice sounded as if he was worried his worst nightmare would come true. He noticed a tear falling from his face then, and moved his thumb up to wipe it away.

"He will," he said again, this time more sure of himself. He needed to be strong for both of them. Aaron nodded, looking deeply into his husband's eyes. He looked behind them then, looking to see if anybody could see them, and when it looked like the coast was clear, he moved in to kiss the other man on the lips. Robert closed his eyes as he felt the other mans face up close to his, reveling in the comfort of having him so close. He never wanted to lose this. And he hadn't realised how worried he was that it might possibly have been all over for them.

But Aaron was still his.

And Seb was still their son, and right now, they needed to get each other through this pain. It was the only way they would get through this. 

But unbeknownst to the two of them, Conner was in the car park, looking up at the balcony. Through gritted teeth, his anger was evident, as he had seen every single second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait on this chapter. Not going to lie, I've been going through some shitty stuff, so I needed time to process everything. This time of year is always a busy time as well, what with Christmas and everything so I hope you guys can understand.
> 
> Anyway! The next chapter is up! I hope you all enjoyed it! Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> The next chapter Adam gets back from his road trip, and him and Vic start to connect some dots...
> 
> Thank you so much for all your support!


	19. Truth doesn’t change the way you lie

Robert could barely sleep a wink that night, his mind continuing to run away with him. He had gone back to the village, not wanting to leave Seb, but knowing the nurses would contact him if anything happened. Bex would stay with him anyway, and she said she would ring if anything changed.

Aaron had gone back to the mill as well, and he had given a silent look to Robert as he had left with Conner, telling him that it would only have to be like this a little bit longer. When Seb was okay, when Seb was awake, then they would be able to think about their future.

But now Robert wasn’t sleeping a wink. He hated that Aaron would be sleeping next to that man, the man that he was so sure was responsible for all of this. Robert knew that Aaron needed to figure out what was in his own head, and he doubted the other man would be getting any sleep tonight either.

All he wanted to do was call him. But he couldn’t. The ball was well and truly in the other man’s court. 

Robert was berating himself for even thinking about any of this while his son was lying in a hospital bed, and he wished to god that he would be okay. But he now so desperately wanted Conner out of their lives.

He was toxic. And he needed to go.

When it looked like his thoughts wouldn’t calm down, Robert decided to walk down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He was shocked when he suddenly saw Vic sitting at the dining table, a distant look in her eye.

“Vic? What are you doing up?”

“Same reason as you, I’m guessing. Can’t sleep,” she said, as Robert looked down to the cup of tea in her hands. 

“How long have you been down here?” He asked, concern evident in his tone.

“Not that long,” she replied. Robert looked at her with a soft gaze in his eye as he proceeded to grab a glass and fill it up with water. A moment later he was sitting next to her at the dining table.

“Have you heard from Adam?” He asked,

“Yeah, he was pulling into Leeds last night. Stayed there overnight, so he’s expecting to be back in the village some time tomorrow,” she explained. She did look like she was really missing him, especially with everything going on right now. Vic was just as worried for Seb as the rest of them.

“What are you thinking about?” Robert asked. She gulped as she looked down to her tea again.

“Just Seb. I really hope he’ll be okay,” Robert nodded, as he took in a deep breath. He was barely holding himself together. He so desperately wanted to believe that his son would be okay.

“I don’t know how you did it,” he said, and she gave him a quizzical look.

“What do you mean?”

“With Joey,” he said a moment later. As soon as Vic heard her son’s name, Robert could see the tears starting to well up in her eyes.

“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to experience,” she said. Robert nodded, reaching over to grab his sisters hand.

“When I found out he was sick, It was like my heart completely shattered into pieces,” she explained. “For so long, I had been dreading that I would never be able to love him, because of what Lee did to me, but I did...I loved him more than I ever thought it was possible to love another person.” 

Robert nodded as he continued to listen to his sister.

“Losing him broke me,” she said, and Robert couldn’t help feel a tear of his own well up in his eye. “A parent should never have to lose their child,” 

Suddenly Robert thought back to Seb and the realisation that they weren’t in the clear yet. Losing him could still very much be a reality. It was like Vic could sense her brother’s fear then as she leaned over and clasped his hands in hers.

“But that’s not going to happen with you, okay? Seb is still here and he will be fine. We just have to rally around him, all of us, together, okay?”

Robert nodded as he felt the tears travel down his cheeks. He was so glad that he had his sister in his life again. He didn’t know what he would do without her.

* * *

The next day was hard, but also hopeful. It was Christmas Eve, and it was the day they would try to bring Seb from his coma. Aaron was nervous, as his mum and Paddy drove them to the hospital. Conner was next to him in the back seat, Liv on his other side. Robert was going with Vic and Diane and would meet them at the hospital. 

Conner had been tense all night, and neither of them got a wink of sleep. Conner was being more sullen than usual and Aaron had no idea why. He figured it was because he was still being weird about their meeting with the policemen the other day. Maybe he still thought that Conner was responsible for the crash. 

Aaron still didn’t know what to believe, but being around Conner right now was only making him feel more on edge. They hadn’t spoken a word to each other all morning, but he could see that they needed to have a conversation soon, at least to find out what the other was thinking. 

Aaron just needed to hear him say that he wasn’t responsible, but he needed him to tell him that Seb wasn’t either. He really was stuck somewhere between a rock and a hard place, and he couldn’t get any of his thoughts in order. And then there was still Robert.

He had no idea what to do about Robert.

He loved him. He wanted to be with him. But now was not the time. There was too much heartbreak going on around them already, they didn’t need any more.

Right now all he wanted to focus on was Seb.

It wasn’t long before they were all at the hospital. Aaron noticed almost instantly the harsh look Conner was shooting Robert when they were all making their way to the hospital room. He still wasn’t saying a word, and it made him feel uneasy.

Rebecca was in the waiting room when they got there. She stood up as they walked in, and her eyes landed on Conner for a moment, the look on her face unreadable. 

“How is he?” Aaron asked her, and she turned to look at him.

“No change, the doctors are in with him now,” she said. 

“Rebecca was it?” Conner asked, holding out his hand as he moved further into the room. She looked at him cautiously as she took his hand, almost as if he was about to pounce on her. 

“Conner,” she said, as if it was a statement, no introductions necessary.

“So you’re the lady Robert cheated on Aaron with?” He asked

“Conner!” Aaron snapped, but his fiancé turned to look at him like he was doing him a favour.

Robert was looking at Conner, taking a deep breath in as if he was trying to bite his tongue. Rebecca was just shaking her head, not saying anything. But now she was definitely glaring at him, the unreadable expression before completely readable now.

“Just thought I’d double check, so we’re all on the same page,” Conner said, still looking at his fiancé, and not taking his eyes away. Aaron was really confused now, because his fiancé seemed to have a knowing look on his face, but he shook his head, not wanting to read into it right now.

“It’s ancient history,” Aaron said, as he looked over to the rest of his family who were looking at them expectantly.

“Obviously,” Conner said as he walked over to the seat on the other side of the waiting room.

Vic was staring at him with a very suspicious look on her face. She then looked over to Aaron, then to Robert and it was like she was watching a game of tennis, looking back and forth between them. Him and Robert were the players, and right now, Conner was the umpire. Suddenly it seemed like she dawned on something, but Aaron didn’t have a chance to question it as a moment later, Dr. Crawford walked in.

He looked between them all, holding his clipboard like it was his life line.

“We’ve tried to bring Seb round,” he said, and Aaron suddenly felt like his heart was about to burst as he waited for what the doctor would say next.

“So far he’s not showing any response, but usually it will take a couple of hours,” he explained. Aaron looked around the room, and could see the pain on everybody’s faces. They were all thinking the same thing, what if Seb never woke up?

“Can we see him?” Bex asked, and Dr. Crawford nodded slowly.

“Talk to him, cheer him on. Sometimes the thing that helps the most is having his loved ones around him.”

Rebecca smiled and nodded her head. She turned to look at him.

“Look, I need to go and call Eric. I need to tell him how Seb is doing, and I should probably check on Ella,” she told Aaron, and he knew that she needed to speak to the rest of her family.

“I know you’ll stay with him, keep him company?” She said, and Aaron nodded his head, smiling at her sadly.

“Of course,” he said to her. She then turned to Robert and took a deep breath.

“He needs his Dad’s right now.” She said as she then left the room. They knew she wasn’t going far, but they were glad she was here. Seb needed his mum just as much.

Vic was still watching Conner closely, and noticed the glare he was shooting at Rebecca as she walked away. She couldn’t help but feel the uneasiness spike up in her stomach at the thought of what it meant.

* * *

They all took turns to go and see Seb, begging and pleading with him to wake up. Vic was pacing outside in the hallway. She had a concerned look on her face as she thought about Conner, and the conversation she’d had with him the other day in the cafe. Adam suddenly appeared around the corner and quickly brought her out of her reverie

“Vic!” He said. She quickly turned to look at him and could instantly see the worry on his face.

“Hey, how are you?” She said as he swiftly pulled her into a hug. 

“Forget about me, how is Seb? I heard as soon as I got to Newcastle. How’s Aaron?” He said, not letting her get a word in. She instantly knew how panicked he would have been when he heard the news, and started to question if he really should have been driving all that way. 

“They’ve reduced his drugs, it’s really just a waiting game now,” she said.

“How did it even happen?” He asked, his face etched in confusion. Vic sighed as she shrugged,

“Nobody is sure, the police were here yesterday speaking with Conner,” she explained

“Conner? They think he had something to do with this?” He asked. Vic bit her lip, as she didn’t know what to think. Adam had known Aaron’s fiancé a lot longer than she had. For all she knew the man could have done this, but she really had no clue.

“He’s been pretty sketchy since it happened,” she said.

“Like how?” 

“He’s been constantly glaring at Robert, constantly making digs. He was even glaring at Bex before when she said they should be there for Seb. I don’t get it, he was fine with him but now it’s like he hates Rob more than ever and...” she carried off, because she could see Adam’s face distort into a very worried expression.

“Adam? What’s wrong?”

“I mean, I don’t want to make assumptions, but there might be one thing that could send him spiraling,” Adam explained.

“Adam what are you talking about?” 

“Look, I’ve seen the kind of temper Conner can have, it’s like something inside of him just switches and he just goes dark, and if he knows what I think he knows, then I don’t know what he would do.”

Vic was looking at him with a very concerned look on her face, and all she could feel in the pit of her stomach was dread. 

“What do you think he knows?” She asked cautiously, barely being able to get the words out. It was like she was in a horror movie as she started to see Conner as the big evil devil trying to capture all of their souls. She was beginning to think he would do anything if he was provoked.

“Aaron and Robert,” Adam started, and Vic had a knowing feeling begin to settle in her gut, “They’ve been sleeping around behind his back,”

“Wow, I wish I was more shocked,” Vic said, as she continued to stare wide eyed at her boyfriend. 

“I don’t know how he would know though,” Adam said as he began to think of a reason. Suddenly Vic thought back to her conversation with Conner in the cafe. It had been the same day as the crash...what if?

“Did you cover for Aaron? The other day?” She asked him, and Adam looked down at her, shocked for a second before nodding his head slowly.

“Did you tell him you were helping Aaron find a surprise in Hotten?” 

Adam slowly started to nod his head, his face etched in horror.

“How did you know?”

“Conner asked me about it the other day and I had no idea what he was talking about,” she said, and Adam, clenched his eyes shut as the truth started to dawn on him.

“Fuck!” He said, and Vic shook her head quickly as she too started to piece together the puzzle in her mind.

“He was proper confused when I said you hadn’t given me anything, he started seeming distant and I was confused at the time, but it did seem like something was starting to dawn on him,” she explained 

“He knows...” Adam said as he started shaking his head slowly.

“Adam...” Vic said in horror, and he looked at her intently, “...It was right before he went and picked up Seb...”

Adam gulped, and Vic started to feel sick in her stomach.

“We need to tell Aaron...now.”

* * *

Aaron was sitting down beside Seb’s bed when Adam and Vic approached him. Conner was down in the cafeteria getting some lunch, and Robert was walking around through the hallways. He had gone to get a breath of fresh air, as there was still no sign of Seb waking up.

“Mate,” he said as soon as he saw Adam, happy to see him after a few days. They pulled each other into a hug, and when they moved away from each other that’s when he saw the worried expression on his best friends face. 

“What’s up?” He said, and Adam looked down to Seb, swallowing a lump in his throat before moving over and stroking a hand through his nephews hair. 

“How’s he doing?” He asked, and Aaron had to wipe away some tears that had started to well up in his eyes. Vic was standing behind him, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Nothing is happening yet,” he explained. That’s when he noticed the look that Vic and Adam shared then. It was a suspicious look and it made Aaron uneasy as he began to wonder what it was about.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, and Adam sighed as he looked at the doorway behind them. 

“Where’s Conner?” He asked his best mate. Aaron looked at him with a perplexed look, as he too turned to face the door.

“Gone to get some food, why?” He asked, and Adam gulped as he looked back to Vic again.

“We think he knows..” Adam said, and Aaron raised a brow at that.

“Know’s what?” 

“About you...and Rob,” Vic said. Aaron looked at her wide-eyed, taking an accusatory look back at Adam as he realised Vic knew about their affair. 

“H...Ho...How do you know?” He asked her, and she closed her eyes for a second, trying to gather her composure.

“Adam told me like five minutes ago,” she said, and Aaron snapped his head to look at him again. He seemed unfazed.

“Look, it’s not really anybody’s business except mine and Rob’s” he explained, but Adam shook his head.

“We’re pretty sure Conner know’s about your business,” Adam said. Aaron’s stomach churned at the thought. How could Conner possibly know? Surely if he did he would have said something by now.

“The other day, I blew your cover without realising,” Vic said, and Aaron gulped as he turned back to look at her.

“What?” 

“He asked me if I liked the surprise Adam got for me, the one you helped him find, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I think he started to connect the dots after that,” she explained.

“He...He can’t know. He would have said something, he wouldn’t just stay quiet about this,” Aaron said. He was trying to wrap his head around it, but it wasn’t making any sense. But then he really thought about it. That fight that they’d had, before he’d told him he was with Adam, Conner had suspected he was up to something no good. Aaron hadn’t been telling him the truth and his fiancé had seen right through him.

Now his lie had been completely unraveled, and he hadn’t had a clue.

Oh God...Conner knew. 

At least he knew he’d been lying to him. He couldn’t possibly know what for.

But maybe he’d connected the dots...

Aaron was starting to panic.

“Aaron...” Vic said then, and he only just managed to escape his own thoughts as he turned back to look at her.

“What?” He asked her.

“This happened the same day as the crash,” she said.

Aaron’s heart plummeted, his world went blank, his heart grew heavy. Suddenly it all came crashing down as he realised what this meant.

Conner had been angry, and he’d got into that car with a point to prove.

And now Seb was paying the price.

“He did this?” Aaron said, barely above a whisper as he looked down to his son. His beautiful son, who he loved more than anything in this world.

“We think so,” Adam said. Aaron gulped, connecting the dots in his head.

Conner had been driving like a crazy person. He hadn’t swerved, even with the oncoming car honking their horn, warning him that they were about to crash.

Seb didn’t do this. He couldn’t have done.

Conner was the only one who could have caused this much pain and heartache. Especially if he’d had that much fury coursing through his veins.

This is all my fault. Seb’s here because of me, Aaron thought to himself.

“Oh god...” Aaron said, his voice shaking uncontrollably. He thought he was going to be sick. That was when Robert walked in...

“What’s going on?” He said as he looked around the room. Aaron noticed then that Rebecca was close behind him, the rest of their family appearing as well.

“Rob....I think you were right. About Conner,” Aaron said. He could barely get his breathing under control, but he knew they needed to know the truth. He couldn’t protect his fiancé any more, not when there was a chance he could have done something so horrible.

“What?” Robert asked, his voice dropping an octave. His face instantly became sterner, his face set in stone. Aaron could see a flash of anger cross his face, and suddenly felt fearful at what he would do.

“You think he did this?” Bex asked, and Aaron turned to look at her, and she herself was showing her anger. 

Aaron didn’t know what to do, as he swallowed a lump in his throat. A moment later, he nodded his head.

Everybody was quiet then, as the truth settled throughout the room. Chas was clenching her jaw, Paddy next to her gripping his fists. Liv seemed like she was silently seething, and even Diane looked vengeful. 

“What’s going on?” a voice said from the doorway, and that’s when Conner walked in. The room was silent, but filled with so much anger, Aaron didn’t know what was going to happen next. 

Conner slowly moved further into the room, and could feel the tension almost instantly. He looked confused as he continued to move forward, slowly edging towards Seb’s bed. Bex stepped forward then, a protective instinct, as she stood between her son and the monster in front of her.

“Don’t you come near him,” she said. A moment passed, and nobody said a word. Aaron could see that Conner was slightly clenching his teeth, as he turned to look at him. That’s when he saw it, the contempt and the anger evident in his fiancés gaze. 

There was nothing but silence. But then...

“Mum?” 

Everybody stepped back, the tension dissipating completely, as everybody turned to Seb. Bex turned around then instantly, and faced her boy. He was slowly trying to sit up, blinking his eyes rapidly, looking around confused as he slowly came back to consciousness. He instantly had tears build up in his eyes as he took in his mother. 

“Seb!” She said, her voice cracking instantly as she moved in to pull the young boy into a hug.

“You’re here?” He cried, and Aaron looked on with tears in his eyes at their reunion. 

“Of course I am!” Bex said quickly, pulling away as she rubbed her hands over her son’s face. Seb continued to cry as he then turned to face Aaron behind his mother.

“Dad?” He said, and Aaron had to try and contain his composure.

“Hey bud,” he said as he moved closer, Bex stepping aside so he could kiss his son on the forehead.

“I’ll go and get the doctor,” Diane said then, and that’s when Seb turned to see Robert standing on the other side of the room. Their eyes instantly connected and filled with tears.

“Dad?” 

“Hey!” Robert said instantly, trying to hold back his tears as he swiftly moved towards his son. “How are you feeling?” He asked him. He ran a hand through his blonde locks of hair, pressing his forehead up against Seb’s.

“I have a headache,” Seb said, his voice cracking as he let his father hug him. 

“The doctor will be here in a sec,” Robert told him, and Seb nodded. Aaron watched as his husband moved away, his heart melting at the site of the two of them. 

Everybody seemed to forget Conner, who was still standing right in the middle of the room. But suddenly Seb moved his head away from Robert’s and locked eyes with the man. He went quiet, his eyes filling up with tears and falling down his face almost instantly. Aaron quickly placed a protective hand on his son’s shoulder as he waited with bated breath to see what would happen next.

“Please don’t come near me!” Seb pleaded, looking at the man in front of him. Conner clenched his teeth, and Aaron noticed a tear falling down his cheek, as everybody in the room looked at him with disdain.

”Get him away from me please!” Seb begged again, looking up at Aaron now. 

“Seb,” Conner started, but Seb cut him off.

“You did this to me! This is all your fault!” He screamed at the man, and Aaron watched as Conner looked away, refusing to meet his son’s eyes.

Seb looked between his two Dad’s then.

“He know’s about you! He know’s you kissed!” Seb said, “He drove us off the road on purpose!” 

“That’s not true!” Conner yelled

“Yes it is!”

Suddenly Robert was standing up from kneeling beside his son. Aaron watched him closely, and could see the anger coursing through him.

“Robert,” Aaron said with warning, trying to bring the other man back down to earth. But he was meeting deaf ears as Robert wasn’t taking his eyes off of Conner.

Conner had noticed too, as he saw the anger in Robert’s eyes.

“Rob,” Vic said, “Just leave him, we’ll call security,” she said, placing an arm on her brother’s shoulder, but it did nothing. Robert shook her off as he continued moving towards Conner. 

Conner gulped, and Aaron felt his heart plummet as he started to move towards his husband, knowing that the deathly look in his eyes only meant he was out for blood, and he was ready to hold him back if he needed to.

But it happened too quickly, and before Aaron knew what had happened, Robert had swung out his fist, so hard and so fast. The next thing he knew, Conner was flying to the floor before he even realised what had hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, the next chapter. Things are finally coming to a head! 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I’m really excited for the next few chapters. I will say that this story is coming to an end. There are still a couple more chapters, don’t worry. However, I would be keen to continue writing fluffy stories for this world, so let me know if that would be something you would be interested in!
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!
> 
> Next chapter will be quite eventful, and a lot of things will come to the forefront. It might just be the chapter you’ve been waiting for from the beginning 😊 
> 
> As always thank you so much for your constant support!
> 
> Sorry if there are a few typos in this. I tried to catch most of them but I wrote this on my mums iPad so there might be a few gremlins 😂


	20. You can't break us

"Robert!" Aaron screamed.

"Dad, don't!" Seb yelled. The boy was still lying in his hospital bed, Rebecca holding onto him to stop him from trying to get up. He looked horrified about what he'd just seen his father do.

It was like something inside of Aaron kicked him into high gear as he rushed forward. As soon as Robert's fist had collided with Conner's face, he knew he needed to step in before things got any worse. 

He grabbed hold of Robert's shoulder, trying to grab his attention, but the man just shook him off. Conner was still on the ground, starting to push himself up. He turned to face the two of them, and that's when Aaron saw the blood trickling down from his nose. It looked really bad. His face was a mixture of anger and confusion, and now he looked like he wanted to retaliate.

Everybody was watching on with trepidation, the room completely silent. Aaron could sense all eyes were on the three of them, and nobody wanted to find out what was going to happen next. 

Robert didn't look like he was finished, as he watched Conner with an intense look in his eyes. He was breathing heavily, and it seemed like he'd been taken over by someone entirely new, someone with darkness in their eyes, and it scared Aaron to death.

"Robert, leave it," Aaron tried to plead with him. But Conner just smirked.

"Rich," he said as he stood from the floor. Aaron looked between him and Robert with a worried face, hoping to god that nothing else would happen. He didn't know if he could handle it if he did.

"I'm the one that gets punched and all you care about is him," Conner was looking right at him now, but Aaron refused to meet his gaze. He thought he was going to be sick if he even looked at him.

"You come near Aaron, my son or me again, and I will murder you," Robert said then, clenching his teeth hard as he spoke. Uneasiness spiked in his stomach as Aaron looked over at Vic. She returned his gaze, showing the horror on her face as a result of her brother's words.

The instantly knew what Robert was really capable of.

"Robert, you don't mean that," Aaron said, his voice cracking slightly, but Robert didn't hear him as he was cut off by Conner's unnerving smirk.

"You wouldn't risk going back to prison,"

"Not even denying it now? What you did to Seb?" Robert spat, and Aaron swallowed a lump in his throat as he finally turned back to look at Conner. He needed to hear him admit what he'd done.

Conner turned to face him then, and he could see the pleading look in his eyes. Aaron clenched his jaw, as he saw his fiance was trying to find some kind of reprieve. But he wasn't going to offer him any rope right now. He either admitted what he'd done, or he would fall down the cliff he was trying so hard to grasp on to.

"Dad, can we just call the police?" Seb was begging Robert now. He looked just as worried as Aaron did. However, he'd never seen this side to his father before. 

"Admit what you did! I want to hear you say it!" Robert yelled, ignoring his son and Aaron completely. There would be no pulling him back from this, he was too fixated on making Conner face up to his actions.

"I didn't do anything!" Conner yelled, and at this point he was starting to sound delirious. Aaron shook his head as he looked back at his son.

"He did! He drove us off the road!" Seb yelled. Aaron watched as Rebecca stroked the hair on his forehead, removing it from his eyes.

"We believe you love," she said, trying to calm him down. She looked back at Aaron with a pleading look. He instantly knew that none of this was good for Seb right now.

"Robert. We need to take this outside now!" Aaron yelled, and he finally looked at him. He was shaking his head.

"I'm not going anywhere with him," he said coldly,

"I don't care! We can't be in here right now!" he yelled, and it seemed like Robert finally saw sense.

He moved forward, shoving Conner out of the hospital room and forcing him towards the waiting room. Rebecca stayed behind with Seb, however, everybody else followed behind them, just to make sure that Robert wouldn't actually carry through with his threat.

"Dad!" Seb called behind them and Aaron could hear him crying, but Rebecca was talking to him, trying to soothe him. It hurt to hear him sound so sad and all he wanted to do was be with him and make sure that he was okay. All Seb wanted was his Dad's, but right now it was like Robert was a bull seeing red, his anger was consuming him, and Aaron had no idea what to do.

As soon as they were safely inside the waiting room, Robert shoved Conner in. 

"Now, we're not going anywhere, until you tell us what really happened!" he yelled at the man, and his voice was so heated it managed to make Aaron flinch.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Conner said, the aggression starting to show on his face as well. He was bright red, and Aaron could see his temple throbbing. It looked like he was about to burst. 

"I believe my son!"

"He's a liar. He just wants his parents back together!" Conner spat, turning to Aaron then. Aaron shook his head, not wanting to hear this man talk so foully about his son. However, Robert was even more frustrated about it as he took another step closer to the man. Conner didn't seem fazed and just kept his gaze locked firmly on Aaron.

He was breathing deeply, looking at him with what could only be described as disdain.

"I guess he's not the only one," Conner said coldly, and this time his and Aaron's eyes met across the room.

He could see the pain in his eyes, the way he was looking at him. He decided then, he didn't really care anymore.

The man hurt his son. He didn't give a damn what he thought. 

"Guess not," Aaron said with a shrug, holding his head high as he watched a tear journey it's way down the other man's cheek. 

"I saw you," Conner said, "Yesterday, on the balcony...I saw you with him," 

Aaron took in a deep breath of air as he looked over to Robert. The man was still staring daggers at Conner, his breathing deep and ragged, like if Conner made one wrong move...

"I saw you kissing him!" he screamed

"I've done a lot more than that with him!" Robert yelled, and Aaron clenched his eyes shut. He looked around the room, at his mum and Paddy, at Liv. They had been standing so silently just watching on as this whole charade played out in front of them. All they could do was stare at him in shock. 

Conner looked like he'd had a slap right across the face as he took a step back, trying to take in what Robert had actually said.

It was silent, as Robert's revelation rang throughout the room, and Aaron didn't know what to think or feel. He couldn't decide if what he was feeling was guilt? Or relief that their affair was now out in the open. 

"How many times?" Conner said quietly, looking at Aaron still like he'd dragged his heart through the mud. 

Aaron still didn't say anything

"I asked, how many times!" Conner was yelling at him now, and Aaron gulped in response, not knowing whether to answer the question.

"I don't know," he replied, his voice quiet.

"So when you said you were out in Hotten with Adam, you were really with him?" Conner had tears pouring down his cheeks now.

"Yes, but you already knew that, didn't you?" Aaron spat.

"I wasn't sure! I wasn't ready to hear you say it!" 

"But that's why we're here! Isn't it? Because you found out, you had a temper and now you put my son's life in danger!" Aaron yelled.

"Guys maybe we should cool it," Vic said from the other side of the room. She was looking worriedly out the window of the door, hoping to god that nobody would come and investigate all the shouting. Adam had a protective arm around her.

But none of them listened to Vic, and Conner and Aaron's gazes stayed locked together.

"How could you?" Conner said, his voice still quiet and threatening.

"How could you put an innocent boy into a coma?" 

"He was driving me nuts!" Conner snapped, and everybody stood shocked as the words finally came out of his mouth.

"For months it's been Robert this and Robert that. I haven't been able to get you alone in what feels like a lifetime, and he keeps going on about how you're better off with him. He wouldn't shut up!" Conner yelled, and it seemed that everything was finally coming to the surface.

"It's always been better with just the two of us, and then he comes along and rips us apart," he pointed a finger to Robert, turning his gaze to meet him. 

"So yeah, I drove us off the road. He kept going on and on and on about how you belong together, and how you've been kissing and sneaking around behind my back! I just wanted him to be quiet!"

Suddenly the room was silent, and nobody was saying a word. 

It only took a moment for Robert to launch himself towards Conner, like an arrow, so quick and so sudden, with his fist colliding with his face once more. 

"That's my son you piece of shit! He's just a kid!" Robert screamed as he continued to pummel the man.

"Robert!" Aaron shouted, jumping forward to pull him off. 

"Robert stop!" Vic yelled, and she tried to move forward but Adam pulled her back. Robert wasn't listening to any of them, he was too focused on Conner beneath him. He was cowering below, moving his hands up to protect his face, but Robert wasn't relenting.

"Robert! You need to stop now!" Aaron yelled once more. This time he tried harder to pull him away, and with as much effort as he could muster, he forced his way between them. He was staring his lover right in the face.

"Aaron, get out of my way," he said through gritted teeth

"No, I'm not going to let you do this!" Aaron yelled as he pushed Robert back towards the wall on the other side of the room. With a loud thump, Aaron had his fists in the other man's collar, and his eyes were pleading with him to calm down.

"He's our son Aaron!"

"I know, but this isn't the way!" he yelled

"What are we going to do, we can't just let him get away with this!"

"We call the police, like normal people!"

"Those idiots don't even know what they're doing!" Robert shouted. Aaron could see that he was so close to begging with him to let him go. 

"I can't let you do this!" Aaron yelled, and he could start to feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He didn't even care at this point that Conner had managed to get up off the ground, finding his way to a seat beside where he had fallen.

"Why?" Robert cried, his voice growing weaker.

"Because you could go back to prison!" Aaron was still yelling. He just wanted to get the message through this man's thick skull.

"What would be so wrong about that?" Robert snapped, a tear traveling down his cheek slowly. Aaron screwed his eyes shut at the man's words.

"You fucking idiot! Don't you get it by now...I love you and I can't lose you again!" There was silence in the air, as his words rang through the room. He didn't know what his family was thinking, but so far none of them had said a word. Maybe that was for the best, but he was sure to get an earful later.

Robert was looking at him with tears glistening in his eyes. Aaron had no idea what he was thinking, but he knew he was probably getting daggers in the back of his head from Conner.

"Just think about what you went through," Aaron whispered, his voice gripping Robert's insides, their eyes connecting and merging as one. Tears of his own were now pouring from his face at full force. He was shaking his head as he continued to lock eyes with his husband. 

"He's not worth it Robert," 

Robert licked his lips as salty tears made their way into his mouth. Aaron could feel him trembling under his grip, and could instantly see the fear flash through his eyes. Suddenly his gaze left Aaron and found Conner who was sitting, grasping his ribs on the other side of the room.

"Think about Seb," Aaron said, and he watched as Robert forced his eyes closed, trying to stop the tears from falling. "We almost lost him, Rob. But we didn't and he's okay. And he needs you in his life"

"He still could go to prison," Conner said, his voice rough, the words barely even legible. "He's not in the clear yet," He sneered. Aaron moved away from the wall, walking over to the other man.

"You don't get to talk right now," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm just stating the facts, now that I have all these cuts and bruises to prove it,"

"Who's to say it was Robert though? There wasn't anybody here to witness it," Aaron said, and Conner furrowed his brow in response. He looked around the room at all of his family, and he suddenly dawned on something as he took in everybody's harsh glares.

"Once people find out what you've done to a 12-year-old boy, well anybody would want to have a piece of you, wouldn't they," he said, bending over so he was towering above the man.

"There's no way that would stick, one of you would slip up," Conner spat.

Aaron stood tall, taking a glance back to a very worried Robert, then back to Paddy and Chas beside the door.

"You guys didn't see anything did you?" Aaron asked, and he could see Paddy gulp, the man taking a look down at Conner and the black eye that was starting to appear on his face. 

"I ah...I can't be too sure what I saw, but it definitely wasn't Robert Sugden," Paddy said with a shrug, and Aaron grinned, looking back at the man in front of him.

"You see that...That's called the Dingle code...and the last time I checked the paperwork, Robert's still a Sugden-Dingle," Aaron said, bending over again so he was staring the man right in the face, then watched as he took a gulp. 

"Did you ever even care about me?" Conner whispered after a moment, "Or was I just some temporary fix to tide you over until he was free?" 

Aaron sighed deeply, looking down at the titanium ring on his finger, twisting it around for a second before removing it altogether.

"I did love you, but I was in love with who I thought you were. This isn't the person I knew. You're not the man I agreed to marry. But maybe that's just it," Aaron said, "Maybe this is who you've always been, but I was just too broken to see it. You always just saw me as something for you to fix. And now, it's like I'm just your trophy, your possession," he held the ring out to the other man, letting it fall from his grasp, and as it fell into Conner's palm he looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

"You really want this?"

"I want to be with the man I love," Aaron said with a nod, "That's just not you," he turned back to Robert, who was looking between them with tears in his eyes. He smiled widely as Aaron gazed at him.

"What are you going to do?" Conner asked, his voice quiet now, almost like he was completely petrified about what would happen next. Aaron was forced to look at him, but he could see that the danger of Robert lashing out again had been averted, and now the man almost seemed happy about Conner being knocked down a peg or two.

"I'm gonna call the police, and they're going to lock you up for a very long time, I hope," Aaron said, and Conner bent his head down in shame. That's when Robert walked over and pet him on the shoulder.

"I can give you some tips if you want," he said with a hint of humour beneath his words.

"Get fucked," Conner snapped, and at this Robert smirked,

"Oh, I plan too,"

"Robert!" groaned Liv on the other side of the room, and he turned to look at his sister-in-law.

"What?"

"Is now really the time?"

"To torment this piece of shit, there's never a wrong time!" He replied, kneeling down beside the man. "Take it from me," Robert said, and Conner looked up and stared at him in disdain, "Never get on the wrong side of a Dingle,"

* * *

A couple of hours had passed, and they'd called the police. They'd seemed quite affronted when they'd taken in Conner's appearance, his face bruised and badly cut. However, everybody had stuck to their story and said Robert was nowhere near him when Conner had been attacked. They had no idea who had done it, it really could have been anyone.

The word had got out about what Conner had done to Seb, and it was like he was now the most hated man in the whole hospital. Seb had seemed so relieved when everybody had believed him. He'd been dreading to find out that the policemen didn't have enough evidence to corroborate his story, but the other man, who'd been in the oncoming car, had just woken up from surgery, and he'd backed Seb's story up with his own statement.

Conner was going down. There's no way he wouldn't.

"Conner Hughes, we are arresting you on the suspicion of reckless driving with the intent of causing harm," the staunch policeman said, "You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court."

Aaron watched closely, with Robert stood by his side as the two men cuffed him. Conner was refusing to even look at them now, but it was like a weight was finally lifted off both of their shoulders as he was dragged out of the hospital.

Robert felt Aaron grab hold of his hand, and smiled softly as he looked down at where they were linked.

"It's okay now, we can be us again," Aaron whispered. He nodded in response, moving in close to kiss the other man on the cheek. Under many circumstances they shouldn't be feeling this happy, their son was in the hospital and they'd both just been through a massive ordeal, but neither of them could help feeling like they were on top of cloud nine.

"Why don't we go and check on Seb?" Robert suggested

It didn't take them long to get back to their son's hospital room, and the boy was currently sleeping soundly while Chas sat by his bed, keeping him company. Everybody else had gone back to the waiting room.

"How is everything love?" Aaron's mother asked him. She'd lit up as soon as they'd walked into the room. They both looked at each other and smiled softly before they both turned to face her.

"Not bad," Aaron replied as he moved over to stroke the hair on his son's forehead. Robert was looming behind him, unsure as to what Chas would say next, now that she knew about the two of them.

"You must be feeling a bit weird. I mean you and him were together for a while," she said, her frow burrowed. Aaron shrugged in response, taking a glance back at his husband.

"Yeah, I guess it feels a bit strange. But now, as I start to think about it, we never would have worked in the long run," he explained, "I always gave him excuses, but he's always had a temper, ever since I met him. I should have realised that he's not a good person," Robert placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him somehow. He knew that Aaron was happy to be with him now, but he also knew the man would be grieving the relationship he'd lost. Chas smiled softly as she gave them both a knowing look.

"I always thought you two were better suited," she said and Robert smirked. If she'd said this 15 years earlier, he would have thought the world would have stopped spinning on its axis.

"So we have your blessing?" Robert asked, and Chas smirked,

"I doubt it would make a difference if you didn't," 

"Cheers mum," Aaron said as he moved around the bed to give her a hug. When they finally moved away from each other Chas turned to face her son-in-law.

"I know I've given you this speech 100 times, but if you hurt him again..." she pointed a finger at him and Robert chuckled softly.

"Noted," he said. "But this time it's forever."

"Dad?" Robert turned quickly to face Seb, who looked like he was waking up. He moved over to his side, and Aaron moved in close as well.

"I'll leave you guys to it," Chas said with a smile as she looked at the three of them; a proper little family. It was only a moment later when she had gone and it was just Aaron, Seb, and Robert by themselves.

"How are you feeling bud?" Robert asked his son. Seb gazed up at him hopefully,

"Conner?" he asked. He placed a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder, as he ran his fingers through his soft hair.

"The police have taken him away," Robert explained to him. Seb nodded, a tear appearing as he kept his eyes locked with his Dad's.

"You were so scary before Dad," he said softly, "I've never seen you like that," 

Robert gulped, looking away momentarily as he thought back to the overpowering level of anger he'd experienced earlier in the day. He hadn't been that angry for what felt like a lifetime. It scared him too, and he never wanted to feel like that ever again.

"That's not me, Seb," Robert told his son, "I'm not like that, and I never want to be like that again."

"You were so mad," Seb said, and he had to wipe away tears that were still falling down his cheeks.

"He was upset," Aaron said then, "Because of what Conner had done to you,"

"But bud, I need you to know, that violence isn't the answer. I should never have hurt him. You need to know that," he said, and Seb nodded in response.

"Are you okay now?" he asked, and his voice sounded so innocent and soft, it made Robert want to break. How could he have the most amazing son in the world? What did he do to deserve someone like him in his life, so forgiving, and so loving, and always looking out for him?

"I'm fine buddy, I have you...and I have your Dad, that's all I've ever wanted," he said. Seb's eyes lit up then as he said this, taking glances between his two fathers.

"You mean...?" he kept looking between them, "You mean you guys are back together?"

Aaron and Robert glanced at each other, smiling warmly as they both started to nod.

"Guess you'll be seeing a bit more of me," Robert stated, and Seb smiled so widely, the sparkle glimmering in his eyes as a testament to how happy he was at that moment. He looked like he was on top of the world.

"Does that make you happy?" Aaron asked with a soft chuckle, and Seb nodded his head almost instantly.

"Yes!" he cheered, and both Aaron and Robert looked at him lovingly, so glad that he was finally okay.

"We love you okay?" Robert said then. "Don't ever forget that,"

"We're never going to stop," Aaron said a moment later.

Seb smiled back, "I love you guys more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallelujah Conner is gone! He's not going to make any more appearances in this story - which is sad because I kind of like writing his character, even if he was an arsehole. 😂 I hope everybody had an amazing new year! Here's to 2020 and it being everything you could ever dream of. Thank you so much for your continued support. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that I did it justice.
> 
> The next few chapters will be about everybody reacting to Robert and Aaron's affair, as well as a few conversations between the boys as they navigate being in a relationship again.
> 
> I'm not sure of how many chapters this will have. However, it is coming to an end. But thank you for coming on this journey with me, I really appreciate it ❤ I will be posting the odd story after this, but these will most likely be one-shot snippets of their life, not a full-fledged continuation of the story. ❤


	21. You are still my world

Seb was feeling better. His head still hurt like hell, and he was still dosing in and out of consciousness. However, now it felt like there was some weight lifted off his shoulders. He was still physically in pain, but he was starting to see past it and realising how genuinely happy he was feeling.

His Dad's were back together. It had been what he'd wanted for as long as he could remember. He now had both of them in his lives, and now they were back to being a team. Nothing was going to tear them all apart.

He was still in hospital. He wasn't allowed to be discharged yet. It bothered him, considering it was now Christmas day. At least he would still have his family around him, but Isaac had texted him saying that it was snowing, so now all Seb wanted to do was get out of this hospital bed, and out of this hospital gown, just so he could actually see the glimmering snowflakes for himself.

His Dad's had gone out to get some breakfast for them, so now it was just his mum and Vic sitting by his bed. They had been watching him cautiously, checking to see if he was really okay. Dr. Crawford had said there had been no signs of any lasting damage. Seb was actually really lucky, but it didn't stop his family from worrying about him every second of every day.

"How are you feeling?" Rebecca asked as soon as she saw that Seb had woken from his deep sleep. He still felt slightly groggy as he tried to sit up a bit.

"I'm fine mum," he told her, getting slightly annoyed at everyone treating him like a fragile piece of china. His mother managed to smile at him kindly as she ran a hand through his soft, blonde hair.

"You know I love you," she said. Seb looked up and planted a warm smile onto his features.

"I know, and I love you too," 

"I'm really glad that you're okay," she said. He looked then and could see the tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Mum, I said I'm fine, you don't need to get all emotional,"

"Seb, she almost lost you, she's just relieved," Vic said, leaning over and placing a reassuring hand on her nephew's arm. Seb turned to her, noticing his aunt's wide eyes staring at him intently.

"I know..." he said, turning back to face Rebecca a moment later, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said, before clearing her throat.

"Look, bud, I wanted to ask you something," she said, and Seb raised a brow in response.

"What?" he asked cautiously,

"How would you feel about coming back with me to France?" she asked. Seb noticed the reassuring hold that Vic had on his arm tighten a little.

"What, why?"

"It's just an idea," Rebecca said, "It wouldn't be forever," she added, noticing too the way that Vic had tensed up. He could see the worried look in his aunt's eye's as she stared intently at his mother.

"I just...I almost lost you, and I was so far away...It scared me Seb. I just want you near me,"

"Mum, I like being here with Dad, and now that Rob's back, I want to spend more time with him, please mum, I don't want to go." Rebecca closed her eyes firmly and that's when he could see the tear fall down her cheek.

"I know, I just...I miss you so much Seb, and your sister misses you too." 

"It's not like I don't visit," Seb said exasperatedly. He wished he could make his mum see that this wasn't a dig at her, he just liked his home being in Emmerdale.

"Like I said, it was just an idea. It's your decision," she said plastering a smile onto her face, then clearing her throat once more before wiping some of his hair out of his eyes. Seb nodded, as he chewed his bottom lip, looking at his mother intently.

"I'll think about it," he said. Rebecca sighed, nodding her head in defeat.

"Look who has breakfast!" They heard Liv's voice coming in from the hallway, and a moment later she appeared with Aaron and Robert close behind her. 

"Thank god, I'm starving!" Vic said cheerfully, taking one more cautious look at Rebecca before standing up and meeting her brother across the room, taking some of the takeaway containers from his arms. Rebecca looked down to her feet for a second, an almost guilty look etched across her face before she turned to face the rest of them.

"How's the patient?" Aaron asked warmly as he put a tray of coffee down on the table at the end of Seb's bed. He then looked up at his son, who was smiling widely at his Dad. 

"Yeah, feeling a lot better," he exclaimed as Aaron made his way over to rub the hair on his son's head.

"Look, I know you're sad that you're in here on Christmas day, so..." he started, and this just caused Seb to perk his ears up.

"What?" Seb asked excitedly.

"We thought we would bring the party to you," Robert said from behind the other man. Seb raised his eyebrow in confusion, as he watched as Aaron moved back towards the door.

"You can come in now!" he shouted, and Seb laughed as he waited for whoever his Dad was calling too.

A moment later, in burst half of the Dingle clan; Charity and Vanessa, Belle, Cain, Isaac, and Adam. Seb's face lit up then as his loved ones began surrounding him. 

"Hey bud, how are you feeling?" Cain asked, and the boy looked like he was lost for words.

"I...I don't even know what to say,"

"Well, we're your family, and you can't spend Christmas without your family, can you?" Belle stated, a warm smile plastered on her face.

Another moment later, Paddy, Chas, and Henry walked in as well, holding a big bunch of balloons. 

"Merry Christmas!" they all cheered at once, and Seb laughed even more. 

"I can't believe you're all here!" he cheered and looked over to Robert who was watching him proudly.

"Well, you deserve this," he said, moving closer to pull his son into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," Seb said finding comfort in his father's arms. A moment later he moved away to look at both of his Dad's, "Thank you, both of you,"

"What are Dad's for?" Aaron said, placing a hand on Robert's shoulder. The other man turned to face him, smiling warmly. Their eyes connected, and you could see then, just how much they really cared for each other.

The rest of the family noticed the moment, and they all smiled as they realised the closeness between the two. Nobody was surprised that they had found their way back to each other.

The two of them were inevitable. 

They weren't fazed by their families gazes in their direction, as both Aaron and Robert looked down at their son. 

"We know it's been a rough couple of months for you, especially this past week, so we just want to make sure that you're okay," Robert said

"I am," Seb replied with a soft chuckle. He looked over to his mum then, and he could see the sad, but knowing smile on her face. 

"Merry Christmas," he said, "To all of you," 

Rebecca smiled again, placing a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder. At that moment she knew that her son had made his decision.

"Seb, you should see the snow outside, it's insane!" Isaac cheered, pulling out his phone to show his best mate. 

"You'll have plenty of chances to enjoy it, I'm sure," Rebecca said with a soft laugh,

"Yeah, when I finally get out of here,"

"I got you, how about I pay the doctor to let you out early?" Isaac suggested, and everybody laughed,

"Ah, the Dingles, how I have missed your ways," Rebecca said with a smirk.

"Yeah well, we stick together, through thick and thin," Chas said, "Good thing too, otherwise, who knows what would have happened with Conner,"

"Let's not mention the C-word, yeah?" Aaron said quickly, and Seb looked at his Dad, noticing the distant look in his eye. He could see then the pain that was left behind as a result of Conner's actions. Robert noticed it too, as he placed a loving arm around his husband.

"I think that's a good idea," Seb said then. He knew his Dad would need time. He had been with Conner for over three years, it would take a while for the sting of betrayal to disappear. He had Robert, Seb told himself. Robert would help him through it. He didn't know how long it would take, but at least they now had each other.

"Shall we eat some breakfast?" Paddy suggested, breaking the tension in the room, and grabbing one of the takeaway containers from the table.

"Sounds like a great idea," Seb said, happy for the subject to be changed.

* * *

It was later in the day, and the sun had just started to set, as Robert and Aaron were driving back towards the village. Robert was in the passenger seat, looking at Aaron lovingly as they got further and further from the hospital.

"I hate leaving him there," Aaron said, unaware of the gaze Robert was shooting in his direction. 

"Yeah, me too," Robert said, turning back to face the road in front of them. "But hopefully, he can be discharged tomorrow," 

Aaron gulped, not taking his concentration from the road.

"I wonder if they've charged him," he said, swallowing the lump in his throat as he thought about the man that put his son in that hospital bed.

"I hope so," Robert said with a sigh. He looked down to where he was twiddling his thumbs, then looked over to his husband, who still had that distant look in his eye. 

"You okay?" he asked him, and Aaron did nothing but shrug.

"I guess. It just feels...weird," Robert nodded, gulping as he realised it wasn't going to take Aaron one day to get over the man he had been with for so long.

"What kind of weird?" he asked, feeling like he was now walking on eggshells. He knew Aaron wanted to be with him, the man had said as much only the day before. But Robert felt the other man wasn't admitting there was something else running through his mind. 

"It's nothing... I just," Aaron started, clearing his throat after a moment.

"What is it?" 

"It's just...why is it, that I'm the one that's feeling guilty?" he asked,

"You have nothing to feel guilty about," he tried to tell him, but Aaron shook his head.

"I know that... it's just this feeling that's in the pit of my stomach,"

Robert looked down to the floor of the car once again, wishing he could think of something to say in response. He knew there was nothing he really could say.

"People are who they are," Robert said then, turning back to face the man he loved, "You had a version in your head of who you thought Conner was, just like I have a version of myself in my head that you don't see." Aaron turned briefly to look into his husband's eyes then and Robert could see the glimmering of tears, 

Aaron looked back to the road, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"You still see yourself so differently?" Aaron asked,

"I know I'm not the same person I was before I went to prison." 

"And you think I know who you are now?"

"I know I'm learning who I am, and you're a big part in that realisation. I've been seeing myself as just some prison scum, some low-life convict for so long, that now that I'm free, I'm having a hard time at thinking of myself as any different,"

"Rob..."

"No no, let me finish..." Aaron gulped, nodding his head slowly. 

"I'm starting to see myself as more than that, that I have a life outside of prison, that I'm a man who's worthy of love...or whatever," Robert cleared his throat, "And yeah you're a big part of that, but that self-worth isn't something that you can just give to me, that self-awareness, of knowing what I've done wrong and acknowledging that it's my fault and nobody else's, that's on me, and nobody else. Only I know who I really am, and what drives me to move forward and to take the actions that I do."

"Yesterday, when I went after Conner like that, It was the version of me that's reckless, and stupid and can't see past my anger, and you pulled me back from it. You made me see that that isn't who I want to be anymore and while you can make me see that, only I can ensure that I never act like that again,"

"But I do know you Rob, and I see who're you're becoming now. I love who you're becoming. You may not be the same person, but you love me, and you love Seb with so much passion, that it's hard not to know that you're just a person who protects the people that he loves"

"Yeah, but that's because I share every little piece of myself with you. You are my life, you and Seb are my purpose, and so I do. I let you see everything that makes me who I am, and who I'm becoming. My point is that people change, and they make decisions about whether they show the people they love their true colours, and Conner didn't for a long time." 

"So you're saying I shouldn't feel guilty?"

"Yeah we probably hurt him by sneaking around behind his back, but at the end of the day, he made the decision to drive them off the road. It was his actions that put Seb's life in danger, not ours. And a person who could do something like that to an innocent kid, they're not just going to have become that person overnight."

"You've become quite philosophical, haven't you?" Aaron smirked, and Robert smiled widely.

"Not much to do in the slammer other than thinking about what life has to offer," Aaron turned to face him then, smiling back at him with a glint of something infinite. Robert didn't want to look away, but Aaron went back to face the road. It was silent between them for a moment.

"I meant it... I know you, and I love you... more than anything," Aaron said. Robert smiled back, feeling the warmth in his heart travel throughout his whole body, down through the pit of his stomach, and back. He reached for Aaron's hand and clasped their fingers together over the gear stick.

"I love you too,"

* * *

The next morning, Aaron couldn't believe how happy he was when he opened his eyes to come face to face with Robert's sleeping figure. The light coming through the curtains was casting shadows onto his lover's body, and all he wanted to do was reach out and trace every line and crevice he could find.

This is what he wanted to see every morning for the rest of his life. 

"You know it's creepy to stare," Robert said, his eyes still firmly shut. Aaron smirked, as he moved closer, nudging his face into the other's shoulder. 

"Here was me thinking it was romantic," Aaron said. Robert had a smug look on his face, slowly blinking his eyes open as he took in the loving look in his husband's eye.

"Definitely creepy," 

"Shut up," Aaron smirked. He leaned in then to smack his lips against Robert's and the other man received him with open arms. As they kissed, Robert reveled in the feeling that they were finally free. They were free to just be. Free to live without any time limits or trysts of moments to be forgotten. They were free to be them. It was moments like these, he realised, that had kept him going throughout his time in prison. 

He was back in Aaron's arms and now he never wanted to leave.

As they continued to make love that morning, and feel their body's harmoniously joined together, Robert and Aaron finally confirmed to themselves that this time it was going to be forever. Nothing was going to tear them apart ever again.

As Robert laid Aaron down and kissed his body in every place that drove the other man wild, they both knew that they'd been kidding themselves before, when they'd claimed they could never have this back.

As Aaron stroked Robert's manhood, causing the other man to moan and writhe in pleasure, it was telling them that the intimacy they had, could never be beaten. They could only be like this with each other, this vulnerable, and this in love. 

And as Robert finally pushed inside the man he loved, he knew that this closeness, and this intimacy, he was never giving up ever again. He never wanted to stop loving this man, he didn't even think it was possible if he could.

And when it was all said and done, their heavy breathing, and the post-climactic feeling of being in heaven, told them that they were bound together as one. 

Their love was so strong, it was a force to be reckoned with.

* * *

As they got to the hospital later that day, they immediately found Dr. Crawford by reception and he looked happy to see them.

"Mr. Sugden, Mr. Dingle. I have good news for you today," he said. They both looked at him with raised eyebrows, anticipating what he would say next.

"How's Seb?" Robert asked him, and Dr. Crawford looked to him, smiling warmly.

"He should be fine to be discharged today," the doctor confirmed, and both men looked to each other and grinned from ear to ear. 

"That's great news," Aaron said.

They followed Dr. Crawford to their son's hospital room, and when they finally stepped through the door, they were met with a very happy looking Seb. He was standing up, already rifling through his bag of stuff in his change of clothes that Chas and Paddy had bought for him. Rebecca stood close behind him.

As they walked in, Seb lit up and Rebecca sighed deeply, looking down to the floor. 

"Hey!" Seb chirped as he moved over to pull them both into a bear hug.

"You ready to go home kid?" Robert asked, and Seb grinned as he nodded his head. 

"We're just printing off a prescription for you, and then you should be fine to leave," Dr. Crawford said kindly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're quite the character Seb, we're sure to miss you here," 

"Can't say I'll miss this place though," Seb said with a sad smile, and Dr. Crawford chuckled.

"I wouldn't expect you to. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I never have to see you again," Seb smirked, nodding his head 

"Right back at you,"

A moment later, Seb turned to face his mum. 

"Will you come back to the village with us?" he asked hopefully, and she sighed deeply.

"I can't Seb, I have to catch my flight," Seb looked down to the floor then. Aaron and Robert watched on as they could see the tension between mother and son.

"I'll come and visit soon, I promise. But I want to stay here mum."

Both Aaron and Robert furrowed their brows, unaware that there might have been a chance that Seb was leaving them.

"I know," Rebecca said, a tear appearing in her eyes again.

"I do miss you, all the time. But my life is here," Seb explained. "I want to be with my Dad's," Rebecca nodded once more, looking up to the two of them who were standing behind their son, not saying anything.

"Please look after him," Rebecca said shaking her head, "I can't bear anything happening to you ever again," 

"Mum, I'll be fine," Seb tried to get her to see sense, as tears continued to pour down her cheeks.

"I'm never going to take your decisions away from you, I...I just wish I got to see you more," she said with a shrug.

"Now that I'm older, I can start coming over more. I want to be a big brother to Ella, and sometimes I do just need my mum,"

"When did you get so smart and wise?" she said, smiling through her tears.

"Learnt from the best," Seb said, turning back to look at Robert. He smiled warmly at his son, so glad to see how intelligent he really was. 

"I love you mum, and tell Ella I love her too," he turned back to face her, and he could see her trying to wipe away her tears.

"We love you too," she said as she quickly pulled him into a hug. They held onto each other tightly for a long moment, and it looked like Rebecca never wanted to let him go.

However, Dr. Crawford appeared a moment later holding a bottle of pills and a printed prescription. 

"Now, you need to take these twice a day. They should combat any long-lasting headaches or drowsiness," he explained, handing the package to Aaron who had his hand held out. Robert then walked over to collect Seb's bag from the bed, zipping it up before swinging it over his shoulder. 

Seb took a deep breath as he took one last look at Rebecca,

"I'll see you later, okay?" she smiled warmly at him, and nodded, grabbing her purse from the chair by the bed. She moved in close to her son again, giving him one last kiss on the forehead before heading towards the door to the room. On her way out, she placed a reassuring hand on Robert's shoulder.

"I know you'll be a good dad to him," she said, and he smiled back at her. 

"Thank you," he said and then he watched as she exited the room.

"You ready to go bud?" 

"Can we have lunch in the pub?" he asked, and both of them laughed at their son,

"Already thinking about food?" Robert asked, rubbing the hair on top of his son's head.

"Well yeah, I need some proper bangers and mash. Not hospital muck that makes we want to vom,"

Aaron smirked, patting his son on the shoulder, gesturing for him to move towards the door. On their exit, he quickly looked over to Dr. Crawford.

"Thank you, for everything you've done for him,"

"Just doing my job," the doctor said, and Aaron smiled

"We were so worried, but you gave us the hope we needed,"

"You've got quite the son there," Dr. Crawford said, "He's sure to do amazing things," 

Aaron smiled once more, nodding his head as he looked over to Robert and Seb who were waiting outside the room and down the hallway slightly.

"Well he's got his whole family standing behind him cheering him on, I don't see why he won't,"

Dr. Crawford nodded, looking over to the boy and his other father.

"And what a beautiful family it is," 

Aaron turned to look at the two of them, Robert now trying his hardest to tickle the boy, who was trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Yeah, it is," Aaron said, smiling as he started walking towards them.

It was only another moment before the three of them started heading towards the exit. The three of them were finally reunited. 

They were about to start the life they were always meant to live.

Nothing was going to tear them apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this guys, but I'm gonna be honest, I've been putting off writing this because even I don't want this story to end. But all stories have a point where they need to be finished. And I've loved every minute of writing this one.
> 
> There will be one more main chapter and an epilogue, but I hope you all liked this. I hope it lived up to all your expectations.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments, and thank you again for all of your support.


	22. You will always be my world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> So this might come as a sudden shock but inspiration struck and I wanted to finish this story once and for all.
> 
> You have no idea how sorry I am for the wait on this, but over the last few months between working on other projects, my deteriorating mental health issues, and general lack of motivation, I have not been in a good enough mindset to write this. But lately, things have gotten better, and I suddenly had an idea and I wanted to run with it. So I hope this comes as a nice surprise for you and a good way to sign off on the story. 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think in the comments!

Seb was the first to enter through the doors of the pub, while Aaron and Robert chose to hang back and take a moment to breathe. It had been such a whirlwind couple of days, and they had no idea what they would walk into as they entered the pub. The gossip was bound to have spread around the village; what Conner had done to Seb, that the boys were back together, that they had been sneaking around behind Conner's back. 

Although Robert thought, plenty of the villagers wouldn't be surprised. Not with their history. Robert thought back to what Rebecca had said just the other day, how she'd known in an instant that he and Aaron had been sleeping together. They never did let a thing like significant others get in the way of what they wanted. Robert tried not to let that get to him, knowing what most people knew about his own history. With Aaron it was different. With Aaron, it was inevitable. Because, he told himself, the two of them belonged together. 

It still worried him though, what everybody would say as they walked through the doors of the pub. It wasn't exactly the nicest thing, being labeled a cheater. Even if the cheating had technically been with his own husband. 

"You ready for this?" Robert asked him. The other man was standing next to him, white as a ghost. Obviously he was thinking the same thing as Robert. He reached out to grab his hand, holding it tightly as a silent gesture of support.

"Just don't want to let the gossip get in the way," Aaron said.

"It won't change anything for me."

Aaron turned to him and smiled. "Me neither," he said. 

As if on cue, Seb poked his head through the double doors, looking between them with an impatient look on his face. 

"Are you guys coming in or what?" He asked. Aaron smirked. 

"Alright, Mr.... Be patient." They didn't take another moment's pause as they followed their son into the pub. As the entered, the first thing they noticed was Chas and Paddy behind the bar, both of them serving a busy lunch crowd as the place was packed to the brim. 

Liv was sitting in front of the bar, her hand curled around a pint, while Doug and Diane were sitting next to her. They were talking about something that must have been pretty funny. They had smiles going from ear to ear plastered right across their faces. 

Nobody seemed to look up and notice them, as they made their way inside. It gave Robert a sense of relief that they weren't being made the centre of attention. He didn't know if he could handle it if they had been. 

Kerrie and Leyla were sitting in the booth right by the bar, and it seemed they had noticed the two of them. Robert watched them as they pointed towards his and Aaron's hands which were still grasped tightly together. They weren't laughing or anything though, not the usual gossip he'd expected from them. They actually seemed to genuinely be happy for them. 

Adam and Vic were sitting in a booth just around the corner, and they made their way to join them. They had two pints waiting for them on the table.

"How's it going lads?" Adam asked as they sat down. Seb was talking with Isaac over in the corner, but when he looked over and saw that they had taken a seat, he came over and joined them.

"You ready for some bangers and mash?" he asked excitedly. Robert smirked.

"Alright, you go order. Tell Chas you're finally a free man," he said. Seb grinned widely, crossing the room so he was now standing beside Liv. Robert paid attention as the boy got the biggest hug from his aunt, who looked pleased to see him out of the hospital and doing so well. He overheard a little bit of what they were saying, as the two of them waited for Chas to serve them.

"How are you feeling?" Liv asked the boy.

"Not that bad. Doc gave me pain killers, so if I do get a headache I should be fine. But I've been okay."

"Does that have something to do with your Dad's getting back together?" 

Seb smiled widely. "I'm just happy for them," he said. Robert smiled and looked to Aaron who had a warm glow as well, obviously listening in to their conversation, just like he had been.

Robert watched as Diane turned to face them, having heard what Liv had said. She had a glass of wine in her hand as she spun in her chair, getting ready to cross the room towards them.

"Incoming," Aaron said.

Adam laughed loudly. "Hold on to your pints lads, you're about to be interrogated."

Robert internally groaned but plastered a smile on his face nonetheless. His step-mum came to a stop in front of their booth.

"So...I think it's time we had a chat about you two being together again," she said. Adam moved over in the booth, pushing Vic along who was shaking her head with a smirk. Diane sat down beside them.

"Nothing really to talk about," Robert said with a shrug. He really did not want to get into this right now. Especially not in the middle of the pub, where who knows who could be listening in.

"Oh, pet. I know you love each other, don't get me wrong. I just want to know what you were thinking. You've done all the sneaking around before. Why would you put yourselves through that again?" she asked. 

Robert let out a long breath. He had no idea how to answer that question. He turned to look at Aaron who was staring intently at his hands, curled around his pint. He cleared his throat after a moment before looking up at Diane.

"We...we just needed to figure things out. We never expected anything like this to happen," Aaron said. 

"Oh, how could you? That Conner sounds like a right wacko," she said. Aaron sighed, nodding his head. Robert wanted to reach out and hold him, knowing this conversation was not pleasant for him in the slightest. "So what does this mean now for you both? Are you back to being husbands?"

They both took a pause, unaware as to how to answer that question either.

After a moment, Aaron cleared his throat. "I think we're just ready to move on with our lives, and not let this stop us from looking forward to the future," he said. Robert looked at him, eyes wide as he took in what Aaron was saying. Yeah, they knew that they wanted to be together, but he had to take a moment to realise what that actually meant. Their future. That sounded so strange, and incredible all at the same time. 

For so long, he had gone through life day by day. Not looking forward to anything other than the day he might've been released from prison. When that day had finally come, it was still a long time before he let himself believe that he could be anything more than an ex-prisoner with nowhere to go and no prospects for the future.

But now it was all laid out in front of him, and he couldn't believe how lucky he was. He had a future...with Aaron. For so long he had dreamed of it, but for so long that's all he knew it to be...a dream. Now it was reality, and he had to pinch himself, not ready to let himself be too happy in case it turned out to be a figment of his imagination.

But it was real. And here was Aaron, looking at him with such a loving gaze, and with all the warmth and adoration in the world. This was real, and he'd be damned if he was ever letting this go again. 

But for so long, getting back together with Aaron had always been the main goal. Now that it was here, he didn't know what that actually meant. He had to take a second to question where they were at. Because yes, they were together. But did that mean they were back to being husbands? Or were they dating? Were they boyfriends? Or were they engaged to be married again? 

He knew these were things he would have to work out with Aaron, and they would do it together, as a team. But he didn't want to be doing it right now, in the middle of the pub, with Diane interrogating them like they had been caught red-handed. 

As he looked at his step-mum, who was smiling warmly at the pair of them, he silently begged her with his eyes to just give this a rest. The last couple of days had been so crazy, and all he wanted to do now was take a moment and just enjoy being with the man he loved.

She seemed to get the hint, as she nodded slowly.

"Okay...I'll let you boys be. But I just wanted to come over here and tell you how happy I am for the pair of you."

"Thank you, Diane," Robert said, getting up from the booth to give her a hug. As they pulled away, he watched as she sauntered her way back to the bar, joining Doug who now had Gabby and Bernice by his side. Liv was chatting away with Gabby about something or rather, and now Seb was giggling and laughing as Chas and Paddy chatted with him over the bar. 

Two minutes later, the boy was parading back over to the booth, a basket of chips in his hands as he took a seat.

"Bangers and mash are on their way. Gran gave us chips as well, on the house. As congrats to the happy couple," he said. Robert smirked, looking over at Chas who waved at them all.

"They're probably just chips that another punter no longer wanted," Aaron said, but he still reached over to grab a handful anyway. 

"I'm not complaining," Adam said, leaning forward excitedly. Vic watched him closely, and Robert noticed her shaking her head with a massive grin etched across her face. It was then, he realised, they weren't the only new happy couple in the village.

"How are you guys? It's been a crazy couple of months for you two as well," Robert asked. Adam smiled widely, taking a look at Vic beside him. She was smiling back at him, radiant as ever.

"We actually have some news," said Vic. Robert raised a brow in anticipation. 

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Aaron asked, still stuffing his mouth with fried potato.

They continued to wait patiently for them to respond. Robert looked at Seb who was tapping his fingers excitedly against the table. 

"We're renewing our vows," Vic said. As she spoke, she reached out to link her hand with Adam's. The other man took it without a second thought. 

"Wow," said Aaron, his eyebrows shot to the roof. 

"That's sudden," Robert said. He tried to hide his shock. He had not been expecting this so soon. 

"We just thought...you know, when I took the blame for killing Emma, our lives completely went up in smoke, and it was so sudden as well. I never thought we'd get a second chance," Adam said. Robert could see the way he was looking at Vic, and he smiled warmly as he saw just how in love the man was with his sister. "I don't want to waste another second of my life, not being married to this woman."

"I'm made up for you mate!" Aaron said, reaching over and patting his best mate on the shoulder. 

"When's the wedding?" Robert asked.

"Well, we were thinking next weekend," Vic said. Robert looked at them slackjawed.

"Wow, when you said you didn't want to waste any time, you weren't kidding."

"Well, we don't need anything too fancy, just the church, our family, and a booze-up in the pub after," Adam said.

"And, we wanted to know...If you guys would stand up with us. You know, Aaron you could be Adam's best man. Rob, My maid of honour...?" Vic looked like she was trying not to laugh as she said it, but it still managed to elicit a round of laughter from the table. 

Aaron smirked from beside him, placing a loving hand on his shoulder. 

Robert opened his mouth in protest. "Hey...I would love to be your Maid of honour. I am...made of honour after all."

"Too right you are..." Aaron said, and Robert just looked at him and shook his head. 

"Shut it you, before I shut you up," he said. Aaron smiled at him, stroking his nimble fingers through Robert's hair. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll be quiet," he said. Then he turned back to face Adam and Vic. "I would love to be your best man."

"Brilliant," Adam said, his face beaming.

"Wait...wait..." Seb said, cutting into the laughter that was emanating around the table. "If you guys are already married, why are you having another wedding?" he asked, looking at Adam and Vic with a quizzical look on his face. 

"Ask these two. They've had enough weddings to last a lifetime," Vic said, pointing her gaze to Aaron and Robert. 

"What you say, boys? Wedding number three on the way?" Adam asked. 

Robert turned his gaze to look at Aaron, who was staring back at him with all the love in the world. He continued to play with the strands of hair on Robert's head, and Robert tried not to close his eyes as a warm, relaxed feeling washed over him. He just felt so at peace, he couldn't believe that less than a week ago they'd been going through hell, wondering if Seb would ever wake up again. Now they were here, and they were having a good time as a family, and he could never imagine his life without the people surrounding him.

Aaron continued to gaze at him lovingly. "If he plays his cards right." 

The words caused Robert to smile from ear to ear. "Back at ya," he said.

He didn't know how he'd got so lucky.

* * *

Later, they were back at the Mill, having just finished getting settled in for the night. They were on the sofa, the credits of the movie they'd been watching scrolling down the screen. Seb was conked out between them, his head lying on Robert's lap, his feet resting beside Aaron.

As Robert stroked Seb's blonde head of curls, that same sense of disbelief washed over him. Disbelief at the fact that this was finally his life. After so long of being away, and being separated from his family, they were finally reunited, and Robert didn't want to take it for granted.

"I should probably take him to bed. He's had a long day," Aaron said, looking lovingly down at his son. 

"I can do it," Robert said, wanting to spend more time with the boy who looked so peaceful in his deep sleep. Aaron smiled, nodding his head knowingly as he watched the other man lift the boy into his arms. Even though Seb was 12 now, he was still small for his age, so it didn't take much effort for Robert to lift him.

He tried to be as silent as possible as he took him up the stairs, making his way to Seb's bedroom. In no time at all, he was gently pulling the covers over his son's shoulders as he continued to snore softly in his sleep. Robert took one last glance at the boy, stroking the side of his face as he wished him goodnight. He was so glad he was home, and that he was safe, and now nothing was going to take him away from him.

It still felt haunting to Robert, the fact that he had been so close to losing Seb, only just after he had come back into his life. He didn't know what he'd have done if he hadn't made it. Robert felt sick just thinking about it.

But he knew not to dwell on it. Seb was here, in his own bed - no longer in the confines of that dreary and depressing hospital room. He was home. And now they could finally be a family - him, Aaron and Seb. 

When he was finished tucking Seb in, he made his way back down to the living room. He looked down from the top of the spiral staircase, at his husband who was still sitting on the couch. He was looking down at his phone with a curious look on his face, his brow furrowed, seemingly lost in concentration. 

After clambering down the stairs, Robert sat beside the man on the sofa. At first, he hadn't seemed to notice his husband had rejoined him, but then he looked up. He had that same strange look on his face, and Robert was automatically worried.

"What's up?" he asked.

"My lawyer just called. He said Conner's been charged."

Robert's eyes shot up to the roof. "Wow, I don't know why, but I was thinking he'd go free."

"Yeah...me too," Aaron said. He looked down at his phone again. Robert reached out to stroke his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" 

Aaron nodded. Taking a deep breath as he placed the phone on the coffee table in front of them. 

"Yeah...just feels...weird. The man I was going to spend the rest of my life with, could be going to prison." 

Robert nodded slowly. "Ironic that," he said.

Aaron turned to face him, seeing the look on his husband's face. "I'm sorry. I know this is weird."

Robert shrugged. "I get it...you feel like history is repeating itself," he said. Aaron lifted a knee, putting his attention entirely on the man in front of him.

"Except this time, I know it's you I want to spend the rest of my life with. Not him." Robert looked at the man he loved, feeling the sting of tears threatening his eyes. He didn't know why, but an overpowering sense of love washed over him, and he thought his heart could burst at any moment. "When you went to prison, it broke me," Aaron said. "I always pictured my forever with you. Even sometimes when I was with Conner...it's you...It's always going to be you."

Robert gulped, feeling his emotions were starting to choke him up. "I love you," he said.

"Move back in," Aaron said quickly. Robert did a double-take, not having expected those words to come out of his mouth.

"What...where's that come from?" Robert asked. Aaron smirked, leaning forward to grab hold of Robert's hands so they were grasped tightly in his. 

"I was thinking...about what Adam and Vic were saying today in the pub...about not wasting another moment. We've seen how things can change in the blink of an eye. And I know it might be too soon for us to get remarried, but I want this. I want you. I want my life with you." 

"Are you sure?"

"I love you, Rob. There's never going to be anyone else. And I need you waking up to me every single day. I don't wanna go a minute without you ever again."

Robert had no idea where these words from Aaron were coming from. The man had never been one to talk much, but when he did, and when he said things like he was saying right now, it just made Robert want to fly up into the air and proclaim his love for the man. The world needed to know how much he loved Aaron Dingle because they had got so used to hiding their feelings. They'd run away from them for too long, that now when everything was out in the open, and when the whole village knew they were back together, he didn't want it to just stop there. He wanted every single person on this planet, to know that this man in front of him, this man, with his blue eyes that shone and rippled like water, that made him want to melt, this man was his to love, his to hold on to, his to cherish from this day and so forth. 

Aaron was right, they needed some time to get their footing before they even thought about another wedding. But he needed to be with him again, in the house he'd built for them, in the home they'd shared. He needed to be where his heart had yearned for, ever since he was sent to prison on that fateful day 10 years ago. 

"Okay," he said. Aaron smiled at him, and Robert watched as a tear made its way down the other man's cheek. "I'll move back in."

Aaron didn't even wait a second before he was launching himself towards the other man, wrapping his arms around his neck as he pulled him in close for an all-enveloping kiss.


	23. Epilogue: Yours forever and always

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you don't have to wait even one more second, I'm posting the epilogue at the same time.

A week is usually not enough time to prepare an entire wedding, but as the whole village came together, the church and the pub had been ready in no time at all. Aaron couldn't believe how dedicated everybody was in organising everything, but he understood, just as much as everybody else, that Vic and Adam deserved a wedding they would remember for the rest of their lives. 

So, as he walked down the aisle, holding his best friends' wedding rings in his hand, he knew that the ceremony was going to be magical. Ahead of him, he saw Robert in his suit as he walked down the aisle. It managed to cling to every single one of his curves. Aaron was grateful for the image, and he just wished he got to see him wearing a suit more often. He thought back to their wedding day, 11 years ago, and the blue suits they had both been wearing then. It gave him a burst of joy, just thinking about it, thinking about what was to come for their relationship.

He wanted this again. No, he needed this again with Robert. A clean slate. A fresh start. And then they could really get their lives started. But he knew he needed to wait. They both needed to be ready, and they couldn't just jump straight back to where they were before everything had happened. Robert was still trying to figure out who he was in this post-prison stage of his life, and Aaron didn't want to pressure him or rush him in any way.

They were living together again, back at the mill, and it was like time hadn't changed a thing. Obviously, they were older and wiser, and they had replaced one stroppy teenager with another, but they were a family again, and Aaron couldn't have been happier. 

He found he had barely even thought about Conner over the last few days. He knew the man had been charged for hurting Seb, and he found that he was getting used to not having the man in his life anymore. Seb was happier than he'd ever seen him, and life was good. 

The music was resonating through the speakers spread around the church, and the seats were filled to the brim with villagers who'd been more than happy a last-minute wedding was taking place. The melody was soothing as Aaron continued to make his way down the aisle. As he came to the altar, looking up at Robert who was standing on the other side, he had to let out a deep breath as the familiarity of the scene flooded back to him. 

With the man in his suit, and staring back at him across the alter, there was no way he could forget the time where he had stood and exchanged vows with the man he loved more than anything else in this world. It made his heart skip a beat. 

Adam was making his way down the aisle now, smiling widely at his family as he got closer and closer. His suit was a light grey, his tie a navy blue, and Aaron smiled as the other bloke shot him a nervous glance in his direction. It didn't take him long to reach the alter and be standing right beside Aaron. 

"You ready for this?" Aaron asked his best mate.

"More than anything mate," Adam said beneath his breath. He smiled at him, clapping him on the shoulder as the music changed and a collective gasp spread throughout the church.

They all looked to the end of the aisle as Vic came into view. Her dress was a creme white, with lace running down her arms and the tea-length dress covered in small floral detailings. Her hair was tied up in a loose up-do and she had a beautiful smile etched across her face. She looked stunning.

Aaron turned his gaze to Adam who had a look of wonder etched across his face. He looked awestruck, and Aaron wondered if he would need to pinch the man to bring him back to reality. As Vic continued to make her way down the aisle, Diane by her side, Adam let out a long breath.

The villagers watched on, all with bated breath as Vic finally came to stand at the alter.

"You look beautiful," Adam said softly. Vic smiled at him, her eyes shining as she took in her soon-to-be husband. 

"You look so handsome," she said. Aaron could no longer see his best mates face, but he could have guessed he was blushing due to the way he let out a nervous chuckle. 

Aaron remembered when he'd walked out from the pub all those years ago, seeing Robert for the first time in that suit, how he'd felt like his breath had been taken away. He remembered giving him his watch back not long after, and the way that Robert's handsome face had looked when he saw it. Aaron looked over at the man now, who was staring at him too, and Aaron knew instantly that he was thinking about the exact same thing.

It was then that Harriet stood forward and began the ceremony. The church was quiet as Harriet spoke, Adam and Vic staring at each other with tears in their eyes. When it was finally time for the vows, Adam was the first to speak.

"Vic..." he began. "Our story, it's crazy but it's a story that I wouldn't have any other way. We grew up together, we saw each other become the people that we are today, and we have loved each other for so long that it's hard to remember a time when we didn't. We've had our issues in the past. Our fights, and our breakups, and our mistakes. But we've always found our way back. If the fact that we are standing here today isn't proof enough of that, then I don't know what could make it any more obvious. We belong together Vic, and I don't want to spend another moment of my life not being with you."

Aaron looked to Vic who was already letting the tears fall down her cheeks. Then he looked at Robert who was listening intently to everything coming out of Adam's mouth. He had an unreadable look on his face as he paid attention, and then he looked up and their gazes locked. Neither of them could look away as they both listened to every word.

Adam continued. "I know I let you down in the past. And I wasn't here when you needed me the most. But I'm here now, and I promise to be here for you every moment of every day from this day onwards. I promise to love you unconditionally and never let you think for a moment that you're unloved. Because you are. I love you so much Victoria Sugden, I don't think it's physically possible for me to stop." 

As Aaron continued to look at Robert, he let the emotions he was feeling take over him. Because every word coming out of Adam's mouth, every proclamation of love he had for Vic, that's the exact same way that Aaron felt about Robert. And God, if he didn't think he wanted to get remarried before, he certainly did now. 

Suddenly, he heard Adam clear his throat, and Aaron was brought from his reverie. He looked at his best mate who was gesturing towards him for the ring in his hand. Aaron moved quickly, grabbing the ring from the box and passing it to his best mate without a second thought. He heard the crowd laughing at the mishap, then went back to focusing on Robert and listening to Adam's words.

"This symbolises my promise. So as I give you this ring, I swear, you will be cherished from this day forwards, until death do us part."

The crowd cheered as Adam slid the ring onto Vic's finger. Then it was Vic's time to speak. 

"I remember Aaron and Robert's wedding 11 years ago," she said. Aaron looked away from Robert then, focusing on Vic as she spoke. He sensed Robert doing the same thing. "I'd just found out you were innocent, and it made me so mad that you weren't here. But as I stood up at their wedding, and I spoke for everybody to hear, I was thinking about you as I said every word. I said, that neither of them was perfect, and would never be perfect, but they make each other laugh, and they make each other think twice, and they're human and make mistakes. Because of those reasons, they should hold on to each other as best as they know how. Because perfect guys don't exist, but there's always one guy that's perfect for you...and Adam Barton...you are perfect for me."

Aaron felt like he could barely breathe as Vic continued to speak. He could feel the sting of tears in the back of his eyes, not knowing what he was feeling or thinking at that moment. But as he looked up at Robert, who was still staring at Vic, he could see the tears that were traveling down his cheeks. A second later, their eyes locked again, and Aaron felt a tidal wave of feeling wash over him; of warmth and intimacy, of love and light and so many other emotions. It had crept up on the both of them as they shared the emotions between them, in just one look, just one gaze, one silent conversation of 1000 words.

"I will not go through life without you by my side. Even when you say something stupid, or you drive me crazy with your antics, I know we'll get through. Because I promise to love you unconditionally, with all my heart...until death do us part."

The crowd cheered once more, bringing Aaron out of his trance. He finally looked away from Robert as Vic put the ring onto Adam's finger. Harriet pronounced them husband and wife...again, and the villagers went wild. Just as they kissed and started to make their way back down the aisle, Aaron took his chance and moved to stand by Robert, pulling him into a tight embrace that he never wanted to be released from. 

"That was beautiful," Aaron said. He could feel Robert nodding into his shoulder, but the other man didn't say a word. 

"Time to party!" Charity shouted from the other side of the church, and everybody let out a harmonious song of agreement. 

"To the pub, we go!" Chas called, and just like that, everybody began making their way out of the church.

* * *

As pint after pint was poured, and the villagers continued to grow more and more intoxicated, the night had well and truly commenced. Aaron was laughing away, sloshing his beer back and forth in his glass as he and Robert continued to dance to the music. Seb was with them, laughing with his Dad's like he was having the time of his life. 

Adam and Vic were also having a good time, both of them getting visibly drunker by the second as people kept offering to buy them drinks. By the time they got to the speeches, it was a bit of a mess, to be honest. But Aaron knew they'd said everything they needed to in their vows. 

"This woman is...by far...the sexiest...lovliest...beauftifullest...woman...I have ever met," Adam slurred as he stood at the front of the pub, beer in hand and heart at the ready. Vic was covering her mouth with her hands, trying to hide her laughter as the pub erupted in cheers. 

"And you...my...amazing handsome...husband... are the greatest man I have met!" Vic called, and the eruption of laughter reverberated throughout the room once more. 

"Come on lad! Give your wife a snog!" shouted Cain from the back, and Adam didn't need asking twice. He grabbed her by her waist and spun her around, planting one on her right there in the middle of the pub. Aaron laughed and clapped his hands as they then stood up straight, Vic visibly blushing, but with a smile so huge, Aaron thought nothing would be able to take it away.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around to face Robert. He had an unreadable look on his face, but there was a twinkle in his eye, and Aaron began to wonder what the other man was up to. 

"I wanna do something with you," he said, and Aaron could see the way he was blushing as he said it. Aaron looked around, at the people surrounding him.

"Now?" Aaron asked, and Robert nodded. He had a small smile playing on his lips. 

"I guarantee, it's not what you're thinking. Grab Seb and Liv. Meet me in the garage in 10 minutes."

A moment later, he walked away. Aaron looked around him, visibly confused as he had no idea what was going on, but he figured he better do what Robert says. 

He found Seb and Liv laughing with Isaac and Belle on the other side of the pub, and proceeded to get them to come with him, as he headed towards the front door.

"Where are we going?" Seb asked, his voice laced with annoyance as he was so obviously having a good time with everyone else. 

"Yeah, this seems pretty suspicious Aaron. I don't know what you're up to," Liv said. 

As they entered into the cold winter night, the wind blowing the hair in front of their faces, and their breaths coming out in puffs in front of them, Aaron turned to face the pair of them. They had red rosy cheeks, and they seemed to be shivering in the cold, even though they'd grabbed their coats as they'd exited the pub.

"I have no idea what's happening. Robert wants us to meet him in the garage," he said. Liv furrowed her brow. 

"Isn't that where you guys have your secret rendezvous?" She asked. Suddenly Seb covered his ears, his face screwing up in disgust. 

"Oh, gross! I don't wanna know about that!" Aaron smirked.

"No! It's not. Look, I have no idea what's happening, so I say we just go over there and see what he's up to."

They begrudgingly accepted as they continued to make their way through the village, heading towards the garage. As they approached, they noticed the light coming through from the crack in the door. 

"Alright, let's get this over with," Liv said, letting out a sigh at the same time. 

Aaron was the first to enter, and when he did, he was blown away. Right before his eyes, was Robert Sugden, down on one knee, a familiar titanium ring in his hand and a hopeful look on his face. The space around them was lit up in fairy lights, and Aaron had no recollection of how to breathe. 

"I hope you don't mind. I went and got your ring from your bedside table," Robert said. Aaron's heart was beating a mile a minute. Behind him, he heard the collective gasp as both Liv and Seb took in the scene in front of them. 

"I know this is sudden. But after today, watching Vic and Adam recommit to each other and say their vows...it just made me realise that I want what they have. I want to be with you, be married to you, have you be mine to love and to hold for the rest of my life. So will you?" Robert asked. "Aaron Dingle...Will you marry me...right here, right now, in this garage with the two people we love most in the world watching on."

Seb was giggling behind them, and Aaron turned to look at the boy who was bouncing excitedly up and down. Liv was next to him, a smile on her face so wide, and so vibrant, Aaron thought her teeth would crack under the pressure. He turned back to Robert, who had an expectant grin on his face. 

"I know we said we would wait. But I don't want to. I know who I am. I know what I want. I want you...forever."

Aaron didn't even need to think about it. "Yes," he said, feeling the tears making their way into his eyes. "Of course I will!" He moved forward, pulling the man into his arms as quickly as possible. 

"I know we've done this before. But I want to say my vows to you. I want Seb and Liv to hear how much I love you," Robert said. Aaron wiped away a tear that was glimmering in his eyes and nodded his head. 

"Alright, let's hear what you gotta say," Aaron said. 

Robert smirked. "Such a way with words."

"Shut up and get on with it," Aaron said. He just wanted to be married to this man again. Even though they were technically still married, he wanted to recommit himself to Robert Sugden and never let him go ever again. 

Robert looked back at Seb and Liv, both of them waiting with bated breath to see what Robert was going to say. 

"Aaron Dingle...we're here again. After so long being apart, of dreaming about this moment every single minute of every single day, we're finally here. And I know this is it. This is the last time we're getting married because this time...I promise you it's for good. Our lives have been a whirlwind, especially over the past few months. But you have been an anchor for me for as long as I can remember, and I know that with you by my side, I can get through anything life throws my way. When I was locked up, wishing for some sign...any sign of hope, the thought of you...the thought of us...that's what got me through. So, as we go through life together, I promise to be your anchor, one that doesn't weigh you down, but lets you be who you want to be, just like you've been for me for as long as I've known you."

Aaron felt the tears gushing down his face like a waterfall. Every part of his being was singing out to him right now. Every part of him was screaming at him to reach out and pull Robert in for a kiss that he never wanted to end. His love for this man in front of him, it was inspiring, it was everything, it was life-affirming and Aaron had no idea how he'd ever gone through life without him. 

"Do you take me to be your husband, from this day on and forever after?

Aaron nodded, breathing through his tears as he held out his hand for Robert to take. 

"Always," Aaron said. Robert smiled wide as he took the ring and slid it onto Aaron's finger. Then he looked down at his own hand and laughed. He pulled off his ring and gave it to Aaron.

"It's your turn," he said. Aaron laughed, wiping away another tear as he took the ring. 

He turned to look at Seb and Liv again and they were both smiling, Liv with a tear streak running down her face. 

"Robert Jacob Sugden...considering how many times we've done this...your words still manage to take my breath away. And though I've never been good with words, that's always been your department, I need you to know that you are it for me. There's never going to be someone who makes me feel as alive as you make me feel. Nobody could ever come close, and so as we stand here today...I promise you I will love you until I can no longer breathe, I will love you until the end of time, I will love you forever. So I give you this ring, as a way of cementing that promise, because I know that with us...forever is eternal."

Robert took in a deep breath, and Aaron saw a tear make its way down his husband's cheek. And that's what he was now, without a shadow of a doubt...Robert was his husband, and Aaron was Robert's. Now nobody could take that away. 

"I now announce you husband and husband!" shouted Seb from behind them, and Aaron laughed as Robert brought him in for a kiss that made Aaron think he was going to break. He could feel the other man's tears, but this time he knew they were happy tears.

All their pain...all that they had been through...none of it mattered anymore. Because they were here, they were together and nothing could break them apart. 

"Seb...I think you're supposed to say you 'pronounce' them husbands," Liv said with a laugh. Aaron broke away from Robert and turned to face his son who was mocking Liv. 

"You little twerp," she said. Seb looked on top of the world. He made his way over to the pair of them, pulling them into a group hug, and Aaron could not believe how happy he felt at that moment. Liv came over too and Aaron pulled her in.

"Now...what's the likelihood that Chas will kill you for doing this...again..." Liv said. Aaron turned to look at Robert, and he opened his eyes wide.

"Oh...very likely. How about we just tell her tomorrow?" Robert said. 

Aaron smirked. "I think that's a good idea."

"You happy?" Robert asked, reaching out to stroke the side of Aaron's face. Aaron looked at him, into those incredible eyes that could make him lose track of time. He leaned into his hand, feeling himself relax almost instantly.

"I'm the happiest person on this planet," he said. And he felt like that was the truth. Because he was. He felt the happiest he'd felt in years. He felt so happy, he'd never even known that being this happy was physically possible.

He had his family by his side. He had his sister, who he loved so much it was hard to believe she never used to be in his life. He had Seb, who was safe and sound, and beyond happier than Aaron had ever seen him.

And he had Robert. The only man who was perfect for him. He had his husband by his side after so many years of being separated, and Aaron would be damned if Robert was to be taken away from him again.

As he looked around him, at the people he loved more than life itself, he couldn't think of anything that could make this moment better. He knew his world was complete if these people were in it. Because that's what they were at the end of the day. 

They were his world...and they always would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to take this moment to thank every single person who has read, shared, given kudos, and commented on this fic. I would not have had the motivation to continue writing this if it weren't for you guys. 
> 
> I hope this ending gives the story justice, and I hope that you guys really enjoyed it. I am so proud of this fic and everything i've learnt along the way. I've found that my writing has improved greatly. I've loved writing for Robron, and I will always love them. They'll always officially be my OTP, but at least for now, I believe I'm done writing stories for them. Unless inspiration strikes, and in that case, I would be more than happy to write a fic. I guess we'll see what happens. 
> 
> As usual, let me know what you thought in the comments. I love you guys so much, and again, I'm so sorry for the wait on these final two chapters. I am grateful for your patience, and I hope these chapters make up for the wait.
> 
> All the best, and stay safe out there xx

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys,
> 
> So I wanted to write this and I think if Ryan ever came back in the future it would go something like this. Let me know if you want me to carry on. I love when you leave comments so let me know if you liked it :)


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